'09 World Championships get underway with men's podium training

LONDON, Great Britain, Oct. 11, 2009 - The U.S. men's team did well during podium training for the 2009 World Championships at the O2 Arena in London, Great Britain. In addition to providing the gymnasts with the first opportunity to train on the competition floor, this was the gymnastics community's first chance to see the sport's venue for the 2012 Olympic Games in action.

This year's World Championships feature competition in the all-around and individual events. Qualification rounds determine advancement to the all-around and apparatus finals. The top 24 men and women compete in the all-around finals on Oct. 15-16. For individual events, the top eight on each apparatus from the qualification rounds advance to the finals (Oct. 17-18).

The U.S. men trained in all three podium training subdivisions, which mirror the line-up for the preliminary round on Oct. 13. The expected line-up for the U.S. Men's Team is: all-around - 2008 Olympic silver-medalist Jonathan Horton of Houston/Cypress Gymnastics and Tim McNeill of Falls Church, Va./University of California - Berkeley; floor exercise -- Steven Legendre of Flower Mound, Texas/University of Oklahoma; pommel horse and still rings -- Wesley Haagensen of Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center; vault -- Jake Dalton of Sparks, Nev./University of Oklahoma; and parallel bars and horizontal bar -- Danell Leyva of Miami/Universal Gymnastics.

Here's what they had to say after their podium training sessions.

Jake Dalton: "It was definitely different. It is bigger than anything I have competed in. There are a lot of good gymnasts out there, both from around the world and the USA. It is sinking in a little bit more (that I am at Worlds), especially when I walked into the arena where we're going to compete. It is pretty exciting to be here."

Wes Haagensen: "It was like I thought it would be. When I looked around, I saw guys I grew up watching and I got an adrenaline rush. You know they are going to be there, then it's, ‘Oh man, there they are.' I had to take a few breaths and then things were business as usual. When I calmed down, it seemed like being in my gym. I have worked hard to not get caught up in that and just go out and do what I came to do. This is my first major international competition. I want to start building my resume - go out and do what I am capable of doing and see what I can do."

Jonathan Horton: "I now have a different attitude going into events. I used to try and hit my routines and see what happened. After two World teams, one Olympics and now this Worlds, I feel like I do belong. I was questioning myself (earlier), but now I want to hit and to medal.

"I am more calm now. I know there will be mistakes because it's podium training. I know it is going to be better in competition because it always is."

Steven Legendre: "It's really exciting and prestigious to be on this big stage. It's hard to make a World team, especially in the U.S. It's definitely an honor, and I'm proud to be here in London. We all have the same goal, to establish yourself, build a reputation and control your nerves. I think it's exciting and motivating to be here at the O2."

Danell Leyva: "I don't really look around at the other guys (when I am training). I am excited and feeling pretty confident. I have competed on this type of equipment before and I am treating it like any other event."

Tim McNeill: "Being in this kind of atmosphere (the only U.S. gymnast in his training session) is best for me to keep calm and focused. If there was a group here cheering and shouting, I wouldn't be able to refocus like that. My ultimate goal is to be on that 2012 Olympic team so being here, on the floor in this arena, just makes me want to come back here."

Women's podium training is on Monday, Oct. 12. The women train in three of the five subdivisions: session 2 - Ivana Hong of Allen, Texas/WOGA, uneven bars and balance beam, and Kayla Williams of Nitro, W.Va./Gym Nest Inc., vault and floor; session 3 -- 2008 Olympic team silver-medalist and 2009 U.S. all-around champion Bridget Sloan of Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp's Gymnastics, all-around; and session 5 -- Rebecca Bross of Plano, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, all-around.