GymnasticsRSS FEED

OSU Alum Conquors Gym, Tanning

12.6.11

Brandon Wynn, fresh off of a gold medal win on the still rings at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, spends a few extra days relaxing and enjoying the weather after the Games.

UWeekly

A picture that OSU alum and champion gymnast Brandon Wynn posted of himself on Twitter couldn’t be more appropriate: he is wearing a T-shirt bearing the graphic of a license plate that reads ‘GR8 TAN.’  Fresh off of a gold medal win on the still rings at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he spent a few extra days relaxing and enjoying the weather, Wynn needn’t worry that the quality of his tan will falter, as he has just become one of three new “Tan-bassadors” for tanning salon franchise Hollywood Tans.

“While many in the indoor tanning industry have flocked to reality TV stars for endorsements, Hollywood Tans’ approach is based on real people who are relatable and motivational,” said Lewis Shender, CEO of Hollywood Tans Group in a recent press release.

“A wide-range of people tan at Hollywood Tans for a variety of reasons,” said Shender, “and our new Tan-bassadors exemplify that diversity and individuality.”

Wynn, an OSU alum who will graduate with a degree in finance, has been playfully and respectfully dubbed, “Lord of the Rings” for his accomplishments as a gymnast; he has won two consecutive NCAA still rings titles, the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Championship crown for the same event and he represented the U.S. at the 2010 World Championship in the Netherlands. He is a prominent enough athlete that discussions of his abilities command their own sections on websites dedicated to gymnastics coaching and fandom.

[caption id="attachment_2945" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Brandon Wynn trains on the parallel bars at his home gym in Columbus, OH."][/caption]

One of Wynn’s proudest accomplishments is winning the Gold Medal at the 2011 Pan-American Games.  His gymnastics career started at age seven and has awarded him not just success at OSU and with Hollywood Tans: he is currently training to be a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, which requires hitting the gym twice a day, six days a week alongside the numerous practices in preparation for the tryouts in June. (read more)

Comments (0) | Permalink | Posted in: Brandon Wynn, Gymnastics, Press |

Brandon Wynn Claims Gold Medal at Pan American Games

10.27.11

(L-R) Silver medal winner Arthur Zanetti of Brazil, gold medal winner Brandon Wynn (C) of the United States and bronze medal winner Christopher Maestas (R) of the United States pose with medals after the Men's Artistic Gymnastics Rings Finals at the XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)

Former Buckeye All-American Brandon Wynn claims gold medal on rings at elite international event

Brandon Wynn, a former All-American (2008-11) on the Ohio State men’s gymnastics team, claimed the gold medal on rings Thursday in the individual finals at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The United States captain and two-time defending national champion stuck his landing to help claim a 15.625 – 0.25 better than the second-place score by Arthur Zanetti of Brazil. U.S. teammate Christopher Maestas notched 15.550 for the bronze medal.

“It really feels good to win,” Wynn said. “I knew coming into this meet and trying to defeat the new world silver medalist as of two week ago would be very hard. But I relaxed and went all in.”

Wynn’s gold medal marked the first top honor for the United States squad at the elite international event. (read more)

Comments (0) | Permalink | Posted in: Brandon Wynn, Gymnastics, Press |

Shawn Johnson on List of U.S. Women to Watch at Pan Am Games

10.13.11

Shawn Johnson competes on the balance beam during the Senior Women's competition on day four of the Visa Gymnastics Championships at Xcel Energy Center on August 20, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images North America)

ESPNW

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson makes ESPNW’s list of “American Women to Watch at the 2011 Pan Am Games.”

Some U.S. athletes to watch at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara:

Shawn Johnson, gymnastics. The Des Moines, Iowa, native, who won silver in the all-around and gold on balance beam at the 2008 Olympics, retired from the sport after the Beijing Games and went on to win “Dancing With The Stars.” Now 19 and attempting a comeback, the Pan Ams will be her first major international competition since the Beijing Olympics. (read more)

Comments (0) | Permalink | Posted in: Gymnastics, Press, Shawn Johnson |

Shawn Johnson Among 10 Best Professional Athletes Born in Iowa

10.10.11

Shawn Johnson Among 10 Best Professional Athletes Born in Iowa

Bleacher Report

The rural state of Iowa isn’t a breeding ground for athletes like Florida or California; however, it boasts a solid top 10 list of star power with recognizable, household names.  Among the Top 10 Best Professional Athletes Born in Iowa, is Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson.

Shawn Johnson

Born: Des Moines
Sport: Gymnastics
Notable Achievements: Four Olympic medals: one gold, three silver.

In addition to winning four Olympic medals in 2008, Shawn Johnson was able to capture seven total gold medals in 2007 over various major gymnastics competitions.

She won three gold medals at 2007′s World Championships and four at the Pan American games in that same year.

Johnson has a chance to increase her already impressive resume if she can make it onto the United States’ 2012 Olympic roster. She is currently an alternate on the World Championships team, but she’s hoping to come back from a 2010 ACL tear and compete in the Olympics next summer.

Even if she can’t make the squad, her list of accomplishments is more than worthy of putting her on this list. (read more)

Comments (0) | Permalink | Posted in: Gymnastics, Press, Shawn Johnson |

Julie Zetlin Tasked with Saving U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics Program

9.19.11

Julie Zetlin Tasked with Saving U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics Program

Julie Zetlin- the 2010 U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics National Champion- is feeling great and ready to compete at World Championships following surgery earlier this year.  Zetlin is the U.S.’s best chance of avoiding being shut out of the rhythmic gymnastics competition at the 2012 London Olympics.

The Washington Post

Zetlin, a U.S. National Champion in a sport in which the United States has struggled internationally, reluctantly followed her doctor’s recommendation in early May.  The last thing Bethesda’s Julie Zetlin wanted to hear on the eve of the biggest summer of her rhythmic gymnastics career was these three words: You need surgery.

Rehabilitation from the operation to repair a torn meniscus in her right knee took longer than expected. She was forced to withdraw from the U.S. championships in August. She couldn’t jump until about a month ago.

Yet, beginning at this week’s world championships in Montpellier, France, she is tasked with nothing less than saving the U.S. rhythmic gymnastics program from a second straight global slip-up.

Four years ago, the U.S. rhythmic program failed — for only the second time since 1984 — to qualify for the Summer Olympics. Bum knee or not, Zetlin’s primary goal between now and January, when the final qualifying spots will be doled out in London, is to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Despite losing weeks of training this summer, she said she is physically ready for the start Monday of the world championships, where 15 Olympic qualifying slots will be on offer. On paper, she provides the United States with huge hopes; last year in Moscow, Zetlin became the first U.S.-born rhythmic competitor to qualify for a world all-around final.

“Now, I feel really great,” Zetlin, 21, said from Paris during a conference call Monday. “I feel pretty prepared. I feel strong mentally, physically. . . . I think the biggest thing for me to show is . . . my ability to be consistent. If I show my strength in that, I think I have a pretty good chance of advancing to the Olympics.” (read more)

Comments (0) | Permalink | Posted in: Gymnastics, Julie Zetlin, Press |