World Parallel Bars Champ Danell Leyva Joins The AT&T American Cup Field

World parallel bars gold-medalist Danell Leyla of Homestead, Fla./Team Hilton H Honors (Universal Gymnastics), has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2012 AT&T American Cup, an International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup event, March 3 at New York City's legendary Madison Square Garden, along with 2011 World all-around silver-medalist Philip Boy of Germany, and World all-around finalists Daniel Purvis of Great Britain, Cyril Tommasone of France and Nadine Jarosch of Germany. They join the previously announced Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts' Twistars USA, the 2011 World all-around champion, Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan's American Gymnastics, 2011 World team gold medalist, and John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center, who finished fifth in the World all-around finals, in the field for this prestigious event.

"There's no better way to start off the Olympic year than by having an impressive field for the AT&T American Cup at Madison Square Garden," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "This event will truly showcase outstanding athletic performances, and highlight some of the key athletes to watch heading into the London Olympics later this year."
The 2012 AT&T American Cup field includes six World medalists and two former Olympians. The gymnasts expected to compete in New York City are:

Men

USA: Danell Leyva, Miami/Team Hilton HHonors
USA: John Orozco, Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center
France: Cyril Tommasone
Germany: Philipp Boy
Germany: Marcel Nguyen
Great Britain: Daniel Purvis
Ukraine: Mykola Kuksenkov
One additional male athlete will be named to replace a withdrawal due to injury.

Women

USA: Aly Raisman, Needham, Mass./Brestyan's Gymnastics
USA: Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts' Twistars USA
Australia: Georgia Simpson
Germany: Lisa Hill
Germany: Nadine Jarosch
Great Britain: Rebecca Tunney
Romania: Diana Chelaru
Romania: Larisa Iordache

For the men, the USA brings a strong duo with Leyva, the reigning U.S. all-around and World parallel bars champion, and Orozco, who had a breakout year in 2011 after finishing fifth in the all-around at the World Championships and third at the Visa Championships.

Boy comes to New York as the reigning European all-around champion and a two-time World Championships all-around silver medalist (2010-11). Purvis, fourth in the all-around at the 2011 Worlds, recently recorded the highest all-around score at the 2012 Visa International Gymnastics (the Olympic test event) at the North Greenwich Arena, the gymnastics venue at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Kuksenkov, Nguyen and Tommasone, the 2011 World pommel horse silver medalist, finished seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, in the all-around at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo.

On the women's side, Wieber is the reigning World, U.S. and AT&T American Cup all-around champion. She and teammate Raisman helped the USA win the team title at the 2011 World Championships. Raisman, fourth in the 2011 World Championships all-around final, also won the bronze medal at the 2011 AT&T American Cup, as well as the World floor exercise bronze medal.

Jarosch finished 10th in the all-around at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo, and teammate Hill was a member of the German team at both the 2010 and 2011 World Championships, finishing 46th in the all-around during qualifications in 2011. Tunney, a newcomer to the British squad, is the reigning English junior all-around champion and finished sixth on the uneven bars at the 2012 Visa International Gymnastics event. At the 2011 World Championships, Chelaru was a member of Romania's fourth-place team and finished eighth in the floor finals, while teammate Iordache, the 2011 European Youth Olympic Festival all-around champion, is a first-year senior competitor. Simpson, who competed in the all-around at the 2012 Visa International Gymnastics event, served as Australia's World team alternate in 2010.

Categories: Aly Raisman , American Cup Field , AT , Danell Leyva , Diana Chelaru , Jordyn Wiebe , Lisa Hill , T American Cup , Team Hilton HHonors