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Sean Golden Fails to Make U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team

Say it ain't so. Mini muscle marvel and Olympic hopeful Sean Golden will not be representing the USA at the Beijing Olympics. The disappointing news was announced Sunday after the weekend Olympic trials in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center

Golden not only was left off the six-man Olympic team but he also was not named as one of the three alternates. For 11 hours Saturday and yesterday the five-person selection committee crunched numbers and considered 49 scenarios. It took them 2 hours longer than they expected, projecting the best team from results at the Visa Championships last month and the men's 2-day trials held Thursday and Saturday at the Wachovia Center.

Golden was a casualty of the system: "Any time somebody puts so much of himself into something and doesn't get the result they want, it's disappointing."

But not embittering. "I definitely think they have the best Olympic team," Golden said. "I've said all along, if the best team doesn't have me on it, so be it."

The 24-year-old, 5 foot 5 Golden is one of the top male gymnasts in the country and one of the few successful black men in gymnastics. The local Philadelphia television stations and newspapers extensively covered Golden's trials because he grew up in nearby Camden, New Jersey. The Daily Examiner featured the gymnast in a cover profile and asked him about China's human rights record and Olympic protests.  "I a€™m not opposed to protesting. I think it's wrong what they'™re doing over there to Tibet. But at the same time, I don'€™t think it'€™s necessary to boycott the Olympics or the opening ceremony. I don't think politics has a place in sports." More of that interview here.

Golden ends the interview with some interesting personal info. "I likes long walks in the park and I'm single." Awwww.

 

Golden fails to make men's Oly gymnastics team [Inquirer]
Sean Golden, Camden’s Olympic Hopeful [PDE]

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Sean Golden Competing for Spot on U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team [R20]
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Sean Golden Competing for Spot on U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team

It's been too long since we checked in on Sean Golden, one of the top male gymnasts in the country and one of the few successful black men in the gymnastsics. This week, some very good news. The 25 year old, 5'5 phenom was just named to the national final trials for the U.S. Olympic Team and will compete at the upcoming USA Gymnastics Olympic trials next month in Philadelphia.

Golden is one of fourteen athletes who will compete in an effort to make the six-man Olympic team. "My first goal was to make the national team," Golden said. "My next goal is to make the Olympics. It will be great to go for that at home."

The Houston-based Golden is ranked second in the vault and third on the rings. If you want to see what he looks like beneath his lycra, KPRC-TV in Houston has an extended feature on the Golden boy where most of the video was shot with him shirtless and exercising.  (No screen caps, sorry.) Discussing his impressively sculpted physique, Golden says he began training in high school. "Gymnastics was looked at as a sport that was done by girls most of the time. So, if you did it, you weren't male or masculine something like that. But, in high school, that's when the muscles and everything else came, so the idea changed behind it," Golden said."

 

Nice nice indeed.

Sender wins all-around gymnastics title [Inquirer]
Golden Hopes For Gold In Beijing [KPRC]

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Olympics Update [R20]
Golden Boys of Gymnastics  [R20]

Olympics Update

Tomorrow is the night Shani Davis competes in the 1000m speed skating event. As the world champion and record-holder, he's the favorite. It's ridiculous that so many continue to blame Shani for the Americans dismal performance on Wednesday—especially against athletes who have multiple gold medals and this would be his first. For instance, an AFP article that just moved begins, "World record-holder Shani Davis might have cost Chad Hedrick his chance at five Olympic gold medals by shunning the US team pursuit squad ..." 

NBC Olympics barely offers some context. "The addition of the team pursuit -- a nation against nation event -- to the Olympic program has presented speed skaters with a new question: Should they participate in the pursuit if doing so might compromise their ability to succeed in their individual events?" But the editors totally blow the point by headlining the story "Heiden: Davis Could Have Raced.",Gold medalist Eric Heiden admits that "Shani had to make one of the most important decisions of his career" yet he waffles on what his decision would have been. It's a moot point because it was Shani's race.

Rod 2.0 obsession Sean Golden continues to vault toward Beijing 2008. (Hey, we said "Olympics Update, not just Torino.) Last week, the 5'5 Houston phenom placed at the Winter Cup, earning his place for the upcoming American Cup. As expected, David Durante took first but we're more than happy that our Golden boy is still number two-ranked in still rings and vault.

Keith profiles Vonetta Flowers, the first black athlete to win a Winter Olympic gold medal. Vonetta says her breakfast of champions is .... McDonald's Apple Pies? "In Europe you can still get the fried ones, and I love them. So I eat three a day." On Monday, she competes in Women's Bobsled.

Golden Boys of Gymnastics

Sunday afternoon, Ryan called as we headed out to the gym to remind us that the Visa Championship was on NBC. We never made the gym, but instead watched David Durante, Guillermo Alvarez and (sigh) Sean Golden.

More Sean below the jump.