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Written by John Crumlish
Monday, 08 October 2018 07:18 |
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| Van Wicklen On Worlds Debut: 'This Is My Time To Prove It' |
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(1 vote, average 5.00 out of 5)
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Colin Van Wicklen, Akash Modi and Alec Yoder had never been to a World Championships, but they were selected at a training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center for the 2018 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, later this month. Sam Mikulak and Yul Moldaur, Van Wicklen's former teammat at Oklahoma, will be their teammates in Doha. Van Wicklen told IG that he and his teammates are primed for medal-winning performances. “I thrive on big moments,” said Van Wicklen, who placed eighth all-around, third on vault and third on high bar at the U.S. Championships in Boston in August. “I dream of high-pressure situations because that is where the competitor in me comes out. I was born for this team, this competition and this moment. I'm ready.”
Van Wicklen, who turned 23 on September 22, said he is equally eager to hit the Doha podium with the rest of the U.S. team. The team has the physical and emotional cohesiveness needed to challenge the world’s best, he said.
“We are the underdogs, with a lot to prove,” Van Wicklen said. “This is a young team with tons of experience competing in the NCAA. We know what it means and feels like to be a part of a team. If we can go out and hit 100 percent, we are going to put pressure on a lot of teams. And when pressure is applied, anything can happen. This team has heart. Each and every one of us fully believes that we can win a medal. And that belief can take you a long way.”
The U.S. men’s team finished third at the 2014 Worlds in Nanning, fifth at the 2015 Worlds in Glasgow and fifth at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Mikulak is the only member of any of those three U.S. teams slated for Doha; he competed in Nanning and Rio.
No team competition took place at the 2017 Worlds in Montreal, where Van Wicklen was an alternate for the U.S. team.
Van Wicklen said the U.S. squad for Doha includes a formidable mix of all-arounders and gymnasts whose best apparatuses should assure an optimal team total.
“With Yul and Sam, we have two of the best all-around gymnasts in the world,” Van Wicklen said. “Both have the potential to win an individual all-around medal. Akash, Alec and I are strong all-around gymnasts, but will be used on our strongest events to provide the highest team score possible. Every guy brings something special, and that is what makes a team competition so incredible to watch and be a part of.”
Van Wicklen said he is content to perform where and as needed in Doha.
“I believe that while I am an all-arounder, I will be used on my strong events,” he said. “I am looking forward to bringing solid scores on floor, vault and high bar to help the team as much as I can. I am also excited about potentially competing on rings for Team USA in prelims and hopefully the team final.”
With team success a priority, Van Wicklen is also keen to achieve at least one personal objective in Doha.
“My main goal is to win a team medal and make a statement to the rest of the world that this U.S. team is for real,” he told IG. “Another big goal I have is to get into the vault final and win a medal. I firmly believe that I challenge for a position as one of the top vaulters in the world and this is my time to prove it.”
IG will be on hand in Doha, where competition begins October 25 with men’s qualifications.
To subscribe to the print and/or digital edition, or to order back issues of International Gymnast magazine, click here. |
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Written by John Crumlish
Friday, 05 October 2018 11:49 |
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| Wong: 'I Find It Rewarding After I Conquer New Hurdles' |
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(3 votes, average 4.67 out of 5)
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Featured in the October 2018 issue of International Gymnast magazine, U.S. junior all-around champion Leanne Wong told IG she enjoys mastering the variety of skills and honing the attributes that have made her a steady, successful all-arounder.
“I am very honored and humbled to be viewed as someone having strength across all four events,” said Wong, whose two-day total score of 112.25 placed her first all-all-around at the U.S. Junior Championships in Boston in August. “I have always loved all four events because they challenge me in different ways mentally and physically to various extents.”
Besides her own incentive, Wong credits Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong, her coaches at Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) in Blue Springs, Missouri, for inspiring her to strive for excellence.
“I enjoy learning and getting new skills,” she told IG. “I find it challenging and rewarding after I conquer new hurdles. In addition, the high standards of my coaches and their expectations motivate me to work hard to reach my highest potential in all four events.”
Read a profile on Wong in the October 2018 issue of International Gymnast magazine. To subscribe to the print and/or digital editions, click here.
To subscribe to the print and/or digital edition, or to order back issues of International Gymnast magazine, click here. |
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Written by John Crumlish
Friday, 28 September 2018 13:02 |
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| Turkey's Colak And Yilmaz Determined To Succeed In Doha |
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(4 votes, average 4.00 out of 5)
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Two of four Turkish gymnasts featured in the October 2018 issue of International Gymnast magazine, Ibrahim Colak and Tutya Yilmaz told IG they are aiming for career bests at next month’s 2018 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Colak said his main rivals in Doha will include Greece’s Eleftherios Petrounias, behind whom he placed fifth at the 2017 Worlds in Montreal and second at this summer’s European Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
“Petrounias is very good gymnast and he has a very good character,” Colak said. “He is an idol for so many gymnasts. I’m working hard to defeat him. I can do it, I believe in myself. I don’t know when, but it will be one day.”
Yilmaz, who was third reserve for the balance beam final at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, said she has the ability to make the final in Doha if she performs at her best.
“We have worked hard to improve my D-score,” she told IG. “Now it is time to be consistent in competitions and hit my routine clean. In Doha my first goal is to hit my routine because I know if I can hit the routine, I have the potential to be in the beam final.”
Read “Turkish Delight,” a collection of feature articles including Colak, Yilmaz and fellow Turkish gymnasts Ahmet Onder and Goksu Uctas Sanli, in the October 2018 issue of International Gymnast magazine.
To subscribe to the print and/or digital editions, or to order back issues, click here. |
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Written by John Crumlish
Wednesday, 19 September 2018 09:44 |
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| Hambuechen: 'I Didn't Hesitate One Second' |
5117
(3 votes, average 5.00 out of 5)
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Although four-time German Olympian Fabian Hambuechen has been out of competitive action since he won his first gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, he told IG he is ready to take on the challenge of performing in "The Superstars of Gymnastics" at The O2 arena in London in March.
"Honestly, I didn’t hesitate one second to accept this offer," said Hambuechen, who placed third on high bar at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, second on high bar at the 2012 London Games and first on high bar in Rio (pictured with his gold medal). “It's an honor to get back to the place where I won my Olympic silver medal, and I still love doing gymnastics."
Hambuechen, who will turn 31 next month, said performing in London alongside fellow Rio gold medalists Max Whitlock of Great Britain, Simone Biles of the U.S., Aliya Mustafina of Russia and others will not require him to start from scratch, however.
"Two months ago, I had an exhibition together with the German legend, Eberhard Gienger, where I did high bar and a few tumblings on floor," he said. "So actually I’m still in it."
To perform on par with Whitlock and the others in London, Hambuechen said he plans to train efficiently.
“I'm still very busy with many appointments but I try to work out as often as I can," he said. "On high bar I will do many releases, and on floor and vault I’ll try to get back to the skills I did in my last competition."
Hambuechen said keeping in top form is a priority, and he wants to pace his progress until London.
"I did a lot of fitness in the past few months so that my body is still in shape," he said. "But gymnastics is different, so it needs a good structure and hard preparation in the last weeks before the show.”
Hambuechen said he is optimistic for Germany's prospects at the World Championships next month in Doha, Qatar. He is particularly enthusiastic about Lukas Dauser, who last weekend led the all-around at the first of Germany's two trials for Doha. The second trials will take place at the end of the month.
"It‘s nice to see Lukas Dauser back in shape after his injury last year," Hambuechen told IG. "He made it back to the all-around and won the first trial. He also scored a 15.30 on p-bars, which means he will definitely be a contender for finals at Worlds."
To subscribe to the print and/or digital edition or to order back issues of International Gymnast magazine, click here. |
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