USA gymnast Chris Brooks gets shot at all-around in first Olympic Games
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Chris Brooks’ excellent Olympic adventure continues.
Brooks, who made his first Olympic team at 29 after being an alternate four years ago, will compete on all six events in Saturday’s preliminaries, giving him the chance to qualify for the all-around. The top 24 after prelims, with a limit of two per country, make the all-around final.
Four-time U.S. champion Sam Mikulak is also doing all six events.
“Any time you can put on a uniform that has `USA’ on it and go compete is an incredible honor,” Brooks said earlier in the week. “To try and get into that all-around final is pretty cool, especially at my first Olympics.”
Brooks has always been one of the top Americans. But he’s struggled with injuries and, when healthy, was often relegated to the alternate spot because his best events are where the Americans are strongest, and his worst is where they’re weakest.
But he finished second to Mikulak at both the national championships and Olympic trials, all but assuring himself a spot on his first Olympic team. He’s also been voted captain by his teammates.
Mikulak doing the all-around was a given. But Brooks is getting the opportunity in part because John Orozco was injured and had to be replaced by Danell Leyva. Orozco is one of the Americans’ best on still rings, and Brooks is better on that event than Leyva.
In addition to the all-around final, Brooks will have a chance to make the finals on high bar and parallel bars.
“Being in the all-around finals in the Olympic Games is definitely a special thing, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity to fight for that spot,” Brooks said.
The lineup:
Floor exercise: Alex Naddour, Brooks, Mikulak, Jake Dalton
Pommel horse: Leyva, Brooks, Mikulak, Naddour
Still rings: Brooks, Mikulak, Dalton, Naddour
Vault: Brooks, Naddour, Mikulak, Dalton
Parallel bars: Mikulak, Dalton, Brooks, Leyva
Horizontal bar: Dalton, Mikulak, Brooks, Leyva