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Spring Named to 2008 Olympic Team
June 22, 2008
Spring Returns Home to Champaign Photo Gallery PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Former Illinois great and current assistant coach Justin Spring was selected to the 2008 U.S. Men's Gymnastics Olympic Team on Sunday. Spring becomes the first Illinois Olympian since Dominick Minicucci in 1992. "It's unreal," Spring said of hearing his name called. "I'm still shaking. I've worked so hard through all of my injuries and I can't believe I finally did it. My Olympic dreams have finally come true." Spring, who has come back from a torn ACL in August 2007 and battled ankle and back injures in the weeks leading up to the Olympic Trials, turned in an electrifying performance over the weekend to impress the selection committee. Combined scores over all four days of competition from the Visa Championships and Olympic Trials put Spring in first place on parallel bars, second on vault, third on high bar and seventh on rings. He did not compete floor at the Visa Championships, but his average of 15.200 from his two floor performances at the Olympic Trials would have placed him in third place on the event. "I'm so excited and incredibly happy for Justin," Illinois associate head coach and Spring's personal coach Jon Valdez said. "He has made several sacrifices and has never given up. He went out and competed with his whole heart and made it happen." The Burke, Va., native joins Paul Hamm, Jonathon Horton, Morgan Hamm, Kevin Tan, and Joseph Hagerty as representatives on the U.S. Olympic Team. Raj Bhavsar, Sasha Artemev, and David Durante were chosen as alternates.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be held Aug. 8-24 at the National Indoor Stadium. Men's team prelims will be held on Aug. 9. For complete coverage of Spring's journey throughout the Olympics stay tuned to fightingillini.com for the latest news.
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