Completed Event: Men's Gymnastics versus Ohio State on April 17, 2026 , Win , 322.825, to, 320.294
Final
Men's Gymnastics
322.825
vs Ohio State
320.294
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooner Trio to Represent Team USA in Tokyo
June 30, 2011 | Men's Gymnastics
June 30, 2011
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NORMAN, Okla. - The rich tradition of representing Team USA continues this weekend for the University of Oklahoma men's gymnastics program. Former Sooners Jonathan Horton and Steven Legendre will join OU junior Alex Naddour as the U.S. competes at the 2011 Japan Cup, July 2-3, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.
The Sooner trio will compete alongside Danell Leyva and John Orozco on the five-man American squad, with OU's Mark Williams serving as USA's head coach.
"It is an honor to be the head coach for a USA Gymnastics international event,” said Williams. “The guys are excited to be a part of an event that has the best gymnastics in the world. We have a very good team going with three of five of the team members a part of Oklahoma's gymnastics program. Our expectations are to compete for a team medal."
The international competition serves as a precursor to the 2011 World Championships, which will be held in October at the same Tokyo venue.
Naddour, the lone current Sooner will represent the United States on arguably his top event, the pommel horse. The Gilbert, Ariz., native has claimed the national championship on the apparatus in each of his first two seasons at Oklahoma. He will be competing in his fifth international competition and his second Japan Cup.
Recent OU graduate and Nissen-Emery Award winner Legendre is expected to compete on the floor, rings and vault. Legendre competed in the 2009 Japan Cup and will be competing on the international level for the ninth time.
Horton, a four-time letterwinner at OU (2005-2008) and 2008 Olympic high bar silver-medalist, will compete in all events except the pommel horse. No stranger to the global spotlight, Horton will compete in his 20th international competition and his second Japan Cup.
The three Sooners boast a combined 35 All-American honors and 14 individual NCAA titles.
In the team competition, three gymnasts compete in each event. The scores of all three gymnasts will count toward the country's total. This same format is applied to the finals of the World Championships and Olympic Games.
Based on performances during the team competition, the top 12 gymnasts, with a maximum of two per country, advance to the all-around finals on July 3.
The United States will compete in an eight-team field against Canada, China, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan.
The Japan Cup not only serves as a preview of the coming World Championships, but will be the first major international sporting event in Tokyo since the tragic earthquake that struck Japan in March.
*Headline photo courtesy of USA Gymnastics
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