Touching all the Bases

Bronze sparkles for Spring, U.S. gymnasts

Posted by: Jeff Huth

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 12:16 PM

Before the Olympics started, Illini fans could be supremely confident that at least one of the seven former or current UI athletes in Beijing would return with a medal.

It's incomprehensible, after all, that Deron Williams and the so-called Redeem Team will not finish in the top three in men's basketball. This is a group on a mission to grab the gold and reassert U.S. world dominance in the sport.

Another strong medal possbility is Susanna Kallur in track and field. The native of Sweden is the world record holder in the 60-meter hurdles (an indoor event) and placed fourth in the 100 hurdles at the 2007 World Championships. Certainly, a medal appears well within the three-time Illini All-American's grasp.

Beyond that, the Illini medal quest appeared iffy at best. That was until Justin Spring and and his U.S. teammates turned in a remarkable -- and certainly improbable -- bronze-medal performance on Tuesday. Few gave this group -- composed entirely of first-time Olympians and minus two of its original roster selections, including defending all-around gold medalist Paul Hamm -- any chance of medaling.

But as NBC's analyst for men's gymnastics, Tim Daggett, repeatedly pointed out during the network's broadcasts of these Olympics, those widespread doubts fostered an "us against the world" attitude among Spring and Co. Daggett pointed out that the injury losses of Paul and Morgan Hamm could be "demoralizing or empowering" for the U.S. team. Which would it be? When the Americans held a surprising lead through the first three rotations, Daggett observed: "You've got your answer there."

A powerhouse Chinese team shortly thereafter overtook the Americans, who still were in second place entering the final rotation but couldn't hold on. That should have been only temporarily disappointing to the U.S. team, which somehow managed to capture the bronze with two alternates in its revamped six-athlete lineup.

Spring can return from his first Olympics knowing he played a major role in this unlikely feat. Competing in four events in the team finals, the four-time NCAA champion recorded the highest U.S. score in the parallel bars and the second-highest in high bar and floor exercise.

Here's hoping Spring's parents set up the VCR recorder -- their son received plenty of air time on NBC, particularly during the team finals. Our favorite Spring TV moment came after he'd finished his parallel bars routine and was sitting down, sipping some bottled water. Noticing that a live NBC camera had him in its sights, Spring broke into a wide smile and blurted out: "What's up, America?"

Later that evening, America -- and all Illini fans -- had their answer. USA men's gymnastics was up -- all the way to the medal podium.

More on the U.S. men's gymnastics team.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring was spectacular all night in leading the Americans to the improbable bronze. The 2006 Illinois graduate and current assistant coach scored 15.900 on vault in the second rotation, a team-leading 15.850 on parellel bars, a spectacular 15.675 on horizontal bar and 15.200 on floor exercise in the three-up, three-count format.

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