INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 25, 2011 – USA Gymnastics Men’s National Team Coordinator Kevin Mazeika of Houston today was named head coach for the U.S. Men’s Team that will compete in the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Oct. 8-16, in Tokyo, Japan, which serves as the first opportunity to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He was selected by the Men’s Program Committee.
Mazeika, who was the men’s head coach for both the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams, became the national team coordinator in December 2009. Prior to that, he was the men’s program manager at the Houston Gymnastics Academy and owner of Mazeika’s Elite Gymnastics. Among the athletes he personally has coached are 2008 Olympian Raj Bhavsar and 2000 Olympian Sean Townsend.
While Mazeika was serving as head coach, the U.S. Men’s Team has recorded some of the USA’s most successful performances in recent history. For the first time, the U.S. men won team medals in back-to-back Olympic Games. In 2008, the U.S. men followed up the 2004 Olympic silver team medal with the team bronze, representing the U.S. men’s best Olympic team finishes since they won the team gold medal in 1984. 2004 was the men’s first team medal in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1932. Mazeika also was the head coach for the 2007, 2003 and 2001 World Championships Team. The U.S. Men’s Team earned the team silver medal at both the 2001 and 2003 World Championships.
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics, and group gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.