THE UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT. EDDIE PENEV, GYMNASTICS This month we caught up with Eddie Penev, a Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center resident in the men’s artistic gymnastics program. Q: How are you preparing for trials? A: “Well, this is my first time around. I am preparing in a completely different way than I have in the past. This time is 100% commitment to gymnastics. I have never had the chance before to just focus on gymnastics. It was always gymnastics and school, so this feels great.” Q: How has training at the CSOTC helped your success? A: “It has helped with everything that goes into gymnastics besides gymnastics – nutrition, conditioning, recovery, cardio. If this is really what you want, this is where to go to succeed. I always tell people it’s like going to college for athletics.” Q: What do you see as your greatest challenge(s) on your road to Rio? A: “I think my biggest challenge is going to be myself. I need to make sure to treat this process like every other competition I’ve ever done, which is hard since there is so much hype over the Games. I learned how to compete a while ago, so I have to treat this process like any other set of competitions.” Q: What is the best advice you’ve been given? A: “‘Excuses are the nails that built the house of failure.’ My ninth grade high school global history teacher said it and it just stuck.” Q: What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? A: “Coming back from my knee injury two years ago. It has come a long way, but tearing your ACL in gymnastics is not an easy recovery, especially when my two best events are floor and vault. I not only had to come back fully, I had to come back better to stay at the top of my game on those events. I can now actually do harder things on floor and vault than before my injury.” Q: What is the one thing you always bring to competitions? A: “Gummy bears! I love Haribo Gummy Bears. It became somewhat of my good luck charm at Stanford and the team would give me a hard time because I would eat so many of them. I’ll usually eat a few before a competition. And then there is German Haribo, which is 10 times better. When I go to Germany, I bring back pounds of them in all sorts of flavors.” Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? A: “I’m from Bulgaria. And I love killer whales.” Eddie has been selected to represent Team USA at the Pacific Rim Championships April 8-10 in Everett, Wash. and will be competing with Jake Dalton, Sam Mikulak, Alex Naddour, John Orozco, and Donnell Whittenberg. MARCH 2016 1 OLYMPIC VOICE ATHLETES IN COMPETITION. BOXING Team USA took Buenos Aires by storm. CSOTC residents Claressa Shields (middleweight), Mikaela Mayer (lightweight) and Shakur Stevenson (bantamweight) won gold at the Americas Qualifer securing their spots for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August. Claressa fought and won gold on her 21st birthday, giving her lots to celebrate. Nico Hernandez (light flyweight) and Charles Conwell (middleweight) also qualified for the Games. Virginia Fuchs (flyweight) will need to claim a top- four finish at the Women’s World Championship in Photo courtesy USA Boxing. From left to right: Mikaela Mayer, Shakur Stevenson, Kazakhstan in May to secure her spot in Rio this Nico Hernandez, Claressa Shields, and Charles Conwell summer. CYCLING The women’s cycling team won the first ever gold medal in team pursuit for the U.S. at the 2016 Track Cycling World Championships in London on March 4. Sarah Hammer, Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert, and Jennifer Valente led from the start finishing in 4 minutes, 16.802 seconds. Later in competition, Sarah Hammer qualified for her third Olympic Games by placing third in the omnium. USA Cycling recently named Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert, Sarah Hammer, Jennifer Valente and Ruth Winder to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team. IN THE COMMUNITY. JENNY ARTHUR Every Tuesday and Thursday, weightlifter Jenny Arthur takes time out of her training to volunteer at UC Health Memorial Hospital, located next door to the CSOTC. More specifically, Jenny spends time in the children’s wing of the hospital. In an effort to help distract the kids from what they are going through, she plays games, paints, completes puzzles and reads with them. She finds that her journey to becoming an Olympian inspires the children she works with. In return, working with the kids provides a powerful experience of giving back for Jenny. This Rio-bound athlete has her sights locked-in on a medal at the Games, but still sets aside time to help her community. Check out the video of her at UC Health Memorial Hospital here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AEp4T7AomQ&feature=youtu.be. NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY. TRAINING PROGRAMS The CSOTC is currently hosting NGB training programs for boxing, cycling, figure skating, gymnastics, Paralympic cycling, Paralympic judo, pentathlon, shooting, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling in preparation for upcoming trials and competitions. JANUARYMARCH 2016 2016 2 OLYMPIC VOICE SPOTLIGHT ON. EVELYN STEVENS With a distance of 47.980 kilometers, Evelyn Stevens broke the women’s UCI Hour Record on February 27, 2016 at the CSOTC Velodrome. Next up, Evelyn will be leading the U.S. team at the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race, which takes place May 19-22. The race begins in South Lake Tahoe and ends in Sacramento, Calif. U.S. Road champion Megan Guarnier and two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong will also be racing. Megan will be racing with Evelyn for Boels Dolmans, while Kristin will be racing for Twenty16. For more information visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com. Photo courtesy of Casey Gibson APRIL EVENTS. TRAINING CAMPS USA Cycling Men’s Omnium Training Camp USA Bobsled National Team Training Camp USA Boxing Women’s Training Camp USA Weightlifting Pan American Prep Camp USA Modern Pentathlon International Camp 3 National Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Training Camp USA Roller Sports National Team Camp USA Water Polo Women’s National Team Camp USA Gymnastics Senior National Team Camp USA Basketball 3x3 U18 Basketball Tournament STAY IN TOUCH. @TEAMUSA Go behind the scenes and catch up with CSOTC athletes and events by using the #InsideTheOTC hashtag on social media platforms. Instagram: TeamUSA | Snapchat: TeamUSA Twitter: @TeamUSA | Facebook: Team USA www.teamusa.org/csotc MARCH 2016 3.