Spring Going From Burke To Beijing
Justin Spring, above on the parallel bars, thought his chances of being an Olympian were shot when Joey Hagerty's name was called. Both were among the six selected.
(By Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post)
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Monday, June 23, 2008
PHILADELPHIA, June 22 -- When Justin Spring sat with other members of the U.S. men's gymnastics team Sunday, he figured there was no way both he and Joey Hagerty, a New Mexican with similar strengths and weaknesses, could both make the Olympic team. So when the selection committee called Hagerty's name, Spring tried to buoy himself.
"I was like, I'll either be an alternate, or not on the team," said Spring, a 24-year-old from Burke. "And I just thought, 'It's okay. You didn't even think you'd make it this far.' "
Moments later, the committee called Spring. He was named one of the six members of the team, and will head to his first Olympics in August hoping to help the United States to a team medal.
"It's totally unreal," Spring said an hour after he received the news. "It's all setting in. I have a splitting headache because I think my body's been on edge for the past three, four hours."
Spring was named Sunday along with Hagerty; Morgan Hamm, who earned a spot despite a balky ankle; and rings specialist Kevin Tan of Fremont, Calif. Alexander "Sasha" Artemev of Lakewood, Colo., Raj Bhavasar of Houston and David Durante of Garwood, N.J., were named alternates -- Bhavasar for the second straight Olympics. Paul Hamm, Morgan's twin brother and the 2004 Olympic all-around champion, and Jonathan Horton of Houston, the all-around champion during the four-step selection process, were named to the team Saturday.
USA Gymnastics officials took two hours longer than expected to determine the lineup, working through 49 different scenarios -- 40 generated by computer, nine of their own -- said Ron Brant, the men's team coordinator.
"Obviously, it's a very difficult day," Brant said.
Perhaps the most difficult fates befell Artemev, who led the trials scoring after the first day, and Bhavasar, who was in the top three in the parallel bars, the rings and the vault.
"I didn't practice my whole lifetime to be an alternate," Artemev said. "So I'm not pleased."
Left off the team completely was David Sender, who won the all-around championship at last month's nationals, the meet in which Hamm broke a bone in the ring finger on his right hand. Sender sprained his ankle Wednesday and did not compete at trials.
Spring, who has undergone four surgeries, said he will work to refine his floor exercise, which he hadn't trained for before arriving here. But he also took time to absorb the moment.
"It's what you work for," he said, "but I can't believe it."
