slides: World’s Top Gymnasts Coming to Worcester

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Sports Team

The American Cup, one of the biggest events in gymnastics, is coming to Worcester.

Tickets will go on sale for the March 2, 2013 event at the DCU Center this Saturday, and GoLocalWorcester has you covered with some of the biggest names to ever compete for and win the coveted Cup, which was most recently handed out in Worcester in 2010.

So, click through out slideshow below to learn more about some of these gymnastics stars that have taken home the Cup.

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Bart Conner

(1976, 1981, 1982- Men's Champion)

Bart Conner won the men's American Cup three times during his accomplished career in 1976, 1981, and 1982. His other accomplishments include winning the individual gold on parallel bars in the 1984 Olympics and claiming the 1979 World Championship in the same event. In addition, he won gold as part of winning American Gymnastics team at the 1984 Olympics. He is in the US Olympic Committee and the US Gymnastics Halls of Fame.

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Paul Hamm

(2008- Men's champion)

Paul Hamm won the men's American Cup in 2008. In 2003, he became the first American man to win the all-around gold in gymnastics at the world championships. In addition, he won the all-around gold in the same event at the 2004 Olympic games. He has won a total of three metals in Olympic competition. He attempted to make a comeback for the 2012 Olympic games but was forced to retire.

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Shawn Johnson

(2007-Women's Champion)

Shawn Johnson was the 2007 women's champion at the American Cup. She also won the all-around World Championship in 2007. She was one of the most famous and beloved members of the 2008 silver medal winning Women's Gymnastics team. Her other accolades include a gold at those same games in the balance beam competition and silver medals in the all-around and floor exercise competitions.

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Nastia Liukin

(2006-Women's champion)

Nastia Liukin won the 2006 women's American Cup. She is one of the most decorated gymnasts in American history; she has a total of nine world championship medals, including gold medals on the balance beam in 2005 and 2008, and on the uneven bars in 2005. In addition, she was the 2008 individual all-around champion at the Olympics.

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Mary Lou Retton

(1983, 1984, 1985 Women's champion)

Mary Lou Retton won the American Cup an amazing three years in a row from 1983 to 1985. She is noted as being the first woman of non-Eastern European descent to win all-around gold in Olympic gymnastics. She accomplished this at the 1984 Olympic games (She is pictured here with then-President Ronald Reagan after those games). She also won three other individual medals that year, in addition to a silver as part of the team competition.

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Peter Vidmar

(1983, 1984- Men's Champion)

Peter Vidmar won the American Cup back to back years in 1983 and 1984. He won two golds and a silver medal in the very city he was born, Los Angeles, in the 1984 Olympic games. He has the rare honor of being inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame twice; first as an individual and second as a member of the of the 1984 US Men's Olympic Gymnastics team. He is the highest scoring gymnast in American History.

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Danell Leyva

(2012, men's champion)

The 2012 men's American Cup champion was Cuban-American Danell Leyva. He is a current member of the US national team. His other accomplishments include winning the 2011 US national all-around championship, winning the 2011 world championship on parallel bars, and winning bronze in the all-around at the 2012 Olympic games. He has also claimed victory in a number of the other tournaments.

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Jordyn Wieber

(2012, Women's champion)

The 2012 Women's American Cup champion was Jordan Wieber. She also won the competition in 2009 and 2011. She is a current member of the US Women's Gymnastic team that won the 2011 World Championships and Olympic gold in 2012. In addition, she also won the all-around competition at the 2011 World Championships.

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Rebecca Bross

(2010, Women's champion)

When the American Cup was last held in Worcester in 2010, Rebecca Bross took home the victory for the women in dominant fashion beating, among others, Needham native Aly Raisman. She is a six-time medalist on the world stage, winning three silvers and three bronzes. In addition, she has won a number of gold medals in the Pacific Rim Championships, Visa championships, and Pan American games.

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Maxim Devyatovski

(2010, men's champion)

The male who won when the American Games were last in Worcester was a Russian named Maxim Devyatovski, and the victory was a bit of an upset. The favorite, American Jonathon Horton, who had won the Cup twice before and would win a third time in 2011, slipped on the parallel bars. The competition was incredibly close, with the top competitors falling within two points of each other.