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Josh Dixon Does Not Make U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team

PHOTO: Getty

Disappointing news on the road to London 2012. Out gymnast Josh Dixon was not named to the men's gymnastics team after the three-day 2012 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials in San Jose. Dixon was also not named as one of three alternates.

Dixon finished 13th out of 15 competitors. R20 faves John Orozco and Dannell Leyva were named to the Olympic team.

It's still a huge accomplishment for the gymnast. Dixon was recently named to the U.S. Senior Men’s National Team. Advancing to the Olympic trials was a huge accomplishment, not to mention publicly coming out during the process.

The 22-year-old gymnast—who is Black and Japanese—is a recent graduate of Stanford University and was ranked first in the nation on the men's floor exercises.  Dixon publicly came out last month and hoped to become the very "first out American gymnast at the Olympics". 

Dixon became the second openly gay world class gymnast hoping to compete at London 2012. The other gymnast is also Black and biracial: 25-year-old Dutch athlete Jeffrey Wammes, who came out in April 2011. Wammes was one of seven shirtless jocks to cover L’HOMO, a special edition of Linda Magazine.

Dixon was also profiled in a glowing tribute at OUT.com last week. Make sure you read it.

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Excellent news. Out gymnast Josh Dixon is one step closer to London 2012 and has qualified for the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials. Dixon placed 13th overall at the Visa Championships last weekend and was named to the U.S. Senior Men’s National Team, reports Outsports.

They will compete for one of six spots on Team USA at the Trials. Dixon told Outsports, "I’m excited, but more humbled and honored that the selection committee deemed me in the elite group of 15 guys who even get the opportunity to compete at our Olympic Trials. I’ve always dreamed of being one of the top gymnasts in the country. Now that I’m in that group, it’s a tremendous honor." 

The Olympic trials will be held June 28-July 1 in Dixon's hometown of San Jose. The Senior Men’s National Team also includes R20 faves Danell Leyva and John Orozco.

The 22-year-old gymnast—who is Black and Japanese—is a recent graduate of Stanford University and was ranked first in the nation on the men's floor exercises.  Dixon publicly came out last month and hopes to become the very "first out American gymnast at the Olympics". Only two American men were ever out publicly at the Olympics.

Dixon becomes the second openly gay world class gymnast hoping to compete at London 2012. The other gymnast is also Black and biracial: 25-year-old Dutch athlete Jeffrey Wammes, who came out in April 2011. Wammes was one of seven shirtless jocks to cover L’HOMO, a special edition of Linda Magazine.

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Bravo. Olympic gymnast hopeful Josh Dixon has come out as gay and hopes to become the very "first out American gymnast at the Olympics," reports Cyd Ziegler at Outsports. The 22-year-old gymnast—who is Black, Japanese and a native of San Jose—is a recent graduate of Stanford University and was ranked first in the nation on the men's floor exercises.

Dixon is one step closer to London 2012. He finished third out of the 72 competitors at the U.S. Men’s Qualifier on Saturday in Colorado Springs. He tied for wins in the floor exercise and high bar. Dixon moves on to the 2012 Visa Championships in June.

When he started exploring his sexuality in his junior year he wasn’t the only gay male athlete at Stanford, as he was soon dating another varsity athlete. When some members of the gymnastics team noticed Dixon was spending a lot of time with one particular friend, Dixon said they were quite comfortable bringing it up. Josh told them he was dating the other male student. "Oh that’s cool," was the response

In fact, Dixon said he has not had a single negative response "in any way, shape or form." If anything, the only homophobia he has encountered has been from within himself. He acknowledges he once felt internal pressure about being a gay man in what some label the "gay sport" of gymnastics. He didn’t want to fall into a stereotype. But he’s come to embrace it, and he says his sexual orientation now makes him stand out more at the elite level.

But:

One concern that remains is the judges. Gymnastics is one of only a handful of Olympic sports hand out medals based on the scores of judges. While some claimed figure skater Johnny Weir’s perceived sexual orientation hurt him with the judges in the 2010 Winter Olympics, it certainly did not play a factor when Matthew Mitcham posted the highest-scoring dive in Olympic history in 2008.

There have been only several openly gay athletes in the elite competition of the Olympics, adds Outsports. "Only two American men we know of were ever out publicly at the Olympics. [And] Matthew Mitcham and Johan Kenkhuis have been recent openly gay male Olympians, representing Australia and the Netherlands. There has never been a publicly out gymnast in the Olympics.."

Dixon becomes the second openly gay world class gymnast hoping to compete at London 2012. The other gymnast is also Black and biracial: 25-year-old Dutch athlete Jeffrey Wammes, who came out in April 2011. Wammes was one of seven shirtless jocks to cover L’HOMO, a special edition of Linda Magazine.

Bravo. Follow and congratulate Josh on Twitter at @JoshNDixon.

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