LONDON — Danell Leyva, a Cuban-American from Miami, walked the bowels of North Greenwich Arena last night wearing a new Olympic bronze medal around his neck.
Bronx’s John Orozco sauntered about wearing only a confused half-smile. The 19-year-old wondered why his arms gave out again during his pommel horse routine.
Orozco’s disastrous 12.56 score on the horse doomed his chance of medaling in yesterday’s Individual All-Around Finals and gaining redemption from Monday’s flop in the men’s gymnastics team final.
“I’m upset but I’m more upset about the team finals,” said Orozco, who rallied from 24th and dead last to finish a still-dismal eighth yesterday.
T’was a tale of two American men gymnasts in London. Leyva and Orozco, competing in their first Olympic Games, each faltered early on the pommel horse and USA’s chances looked finished. After the second of six rounds, Orozco was 24th and Leyva 19th.
Leyva’s recovery was nothing short of brilliant, with sensational performances in the final two events – the parallel bars and horizontal bar – to rally for third place and win America another medal.
“I’m very, very happy about getting a bronze,’’ said Leyva, who had finished first in the weekend’s qualifications, “especially coming back after I was a mess on pommel horse. I knew my strongest events were last and I had to do what I do every day in training. But I‘m not satisfied. I’m going to come back in 2016 looking for that gold and in 2020 looking for the gold again. Getting a bronze is one of the happiest moments in my life, for now.’’’
For one London night, the bronze looked fine around Leyva’s neck and it only happened because ofs back to-back scores of 15.8 and 15.7 on the parallel and horizontal bars, respectively.
Leyva was a dramatic last up on the last event. As he landed, he raised a fist and let out a roar heard all the way to South Beach. A fantastic cheer rumbled up from the crowd of 12,000 as 15.7 lit the scoreboard and Leyva’s name blinked to third.
“It’s kind of big,’’ Leyva said, looking at his medal. “I have a big hand and it barely fits in my palm. Seeing the rings, seeing Olympiads on it, and turning around and seeing the London sign, it’s beautiful. It’s very inspiring to to want to come back and get more of these. ’
“Danell has always been coming from the bottom to the top,” added Leyva’s coach/stepfather, Yin Alvarez. “He’s done it many, many times in his career since he was a little kid.’’