2015 AT&T American Cup Men’s biographies
Sources: USA Gymnastics, International Gymnastics Federation, Wikipedia Men’s events – FX=Floor exercise, PH=Pommel horse, SR=Still Rings, VT=Vault, PB=Parallel bars, HB=Horizontal bar, AA=all-around
Jossimar Calvo, Colombia Birthdate: 07/22/1994 Began gymnastics: 1999 Hometown: Cucuta, Colombia Years on national team: 9 Coach: Jairo Ruiz
Competition results 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China: 8th, HB; 10th, AA 2014 World Challenge Cup, Anadia, Portgual: 8th, FX 2013 World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium: 5th, HB; 24th, AA 2011 World Championships, Tokyo, Japan: 54th, AA 2010 World Championships, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Ryohei Kato, Japan Birthdate: 9/9/1993 Coach: Mutsumi Harada Hometown: Chiba, Japan School: Jutendo University Birth Place: Aichi, Japan Began gymnastics: 2003 Club: Juntendo University Years on national team: 3
Competition results 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China: 2nd, team; 3rd, PH; 6th, FX 2014 NHK Cup, Tokyo, Japan: 3rd, AA 2013 World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium: 2nd, AA; 7th, HB 2014 NHK Cup, Tokyo, Japan: 2nd, AA 2012 Olympic Games, London, England: 2nd, team
Andrey Likhovitskiy, Belarus Birthdate: 6/23/1986 Hometown: Minsk, Belarus
Competition results 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China: 7th, PH; 14th, AA 2014 AT&T American Cup, Greensboro, N.C.: 6th, AA 2013 World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium: 8th, AA 2011 World Championships, Tokyo, Japan: 16th, AA
Samuel Mikulak, United States Birthdate: 10/13/1992 High School: Corona Del Mar Residence: Ann Arbor, Mich. Began gymnastics: 1994 Hometown: Newport Coast, Calif. Parents/guardians: Steve and Tina Mikulak Club: Team Hilton HHonors (Univ. of Michigan) Sibling(s): Alex Head Coach: Kurt Golder Family members in sports: Both parents were Nickname: Sam collegiate gymnasts at UC-Berkeley
Career Highlights • 2014 World team bronze medalist. Advanced to the all-around final • 2014 U.S. all-around and pommel horse champion and high bar silver medalist • 2014 NCAA team, all-around and parallel bars champion (Michigan) • 2014 Nissen-Emery Award winner • 2014 AT&T American Cup champion • Placed fourth in the high bar final and 6th in the all-around at the 2013 World Championships • 2013 U.S. all-around, parallel bars and high bar champion • 2013 NCAA team, all-around, parallel bars and high bar champion and floor exercise bronze medalist (Michigan) • 2012 Olympic team member. Competed in vault finals • 2012 U.S. parallel bars silver medalist and all-around bronze medalist • 2012 NCAA high bar champion and all-around silver medalist • 2012 Winter Cup Challenge parallel bars silver medalist • 2011 NCAA all-around champion and floor exercise bronze medalist • 2011 Winter Cup Challenge vault silver medalist
Competition Results 2015 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev. - 6th-PH; 8th-PB 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China - 3rd-Team 2014 P&G Championships, Pittsburgh, Pa. - 1st-AA, PH; 2nd-HB; 6th-FX 2014 World Challenge Cup, Anadia, Portugal - 1st-HB; 2nd-FX; 3rd-PB; 5th-VT 2014 2014 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, Ann Arbor, Mich. - 1st-Team, AA, PB; 4th-FX; 8th-VT 2014 AT&T American Cup, Greensboro, N.C. - 1st-AA 2013 World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium - 4th-HB; 6th-AA 2013 P&G Championships, Hartford, Conn. - 1st-AA, PB, HB; 5th-FX, VT 2013 World Challenge Cup, Anadia, Portugal - 1st-HB; 3rd-FX; 4th-PB; 7th-VT(T) 2013 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, State College, Pa. - 1st-Team, AA, PB, HB; 3rd-FX; 4th-PH; 7th-VT(T) 2012 Olympic Games, London, England - 5th-Team, VT 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, San Jose, Calif. - 5th-PH 2012 Visa Championships, St. Louis, Mo. - 2nd-PB; 3rd-AA; 4th-VT; 5th-PH, HB 2012 National Qualifier, Colorado Springs, Colo. - 4th-PB; 6th-PH 2012 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, Norman, Okla. - 1st-HB; 2nd-AA(T); 6th-Team; 8th-PB 2012 Kellogg's Pacific Rim Championships, Everett, Wash. - 1st-Team; 2nd-AA, VT, HB; 3rd-PH, PB 2012 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev. - 2nd-PB; 7th-SR(T), HB
Daniel Purvis, Great Britain Birthdate: 11/13/1990 Hometown: Southport, Great Britain Birthplace: Liverpool, Great Britain Club: Southport YMCA Competitive Gymnastics Club Coach: Jeff Brookes & Andrei Popov
Competition results 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China: 4th, Team; 11th, AA 2014 AT&T American Cup, Greensboro, N.C.: 3rd, AA 2013 World Cup, Tokyo, Japan: 3rd, AA 2013 World Cup, Glasgow, Scotland: 2nd, AA 2013 World Cup, Stuttgart, Germany: 3rd, AA 2013 World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium: 4th, FX; 7th, AA 2012 Olympic Games, London: 3rd, team; 13th, AA 2012 Olympic Test Event, London, Great Britain: 1st, team, AA, FX; 5th, HB; 7th, SR 2011 World Championships, Tokyo: 4th, AA; 10th, team 2010 World Championships, Rotterdam, Netherlands: 3rd, FX; 5th, AA; 7th, team
Yusuke Tanaka, Japan Birthdate: 11/29/1989 Began gymnastics: 1996 Hometown: Saitama, Japan Years on national team: 3 Birthplace: Wakayama, Japan Personal: Brother, Kazuhito, and sister, Rie, Club: Konami Sports Club Gymnastics both competed at the 2012 Olympic Games Coach: Takahiro Morizumi with Yusuke. School: Juntendo University
Competitive results 2014 World Cup, Glasgow, Scotland: 1st, AA 2014 World Cup, Stuttgart, Germany: 5th, AA 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China: 2nd, team; 3rd, AA; 5th, PB 2014 NHK Cup, Tokyo, Japan: 4th, AA 2012 Olympic Games, London, Great Britain: 2nd, team; 8th, PB 2011 World Championships, Tokyo, Japan: 2nd, team; 6th, HB
Oleg Verniaiev, Ukraine Birthdate: 9/29/1993 Club: Zbroyni Syly Birthplace: Donetsk, Ukraine Parents: Iurii Verniaiev and Tetiana Verniaieva Hometown: Kiev, Ukraine Began gymnastics: 2000 Coach: Sartynskyi Gennadii
Competitive results 2014 World Cup, Glasgow, Scotland: 7th, AA 2014 World Cup, Stuttgart, Germany: 1st, AA 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China: 1st, PB; 4th, AA 2013 World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium: 8th, VT; 15th, AA 2012 Olympic Games, London, Great Britain: 4th, team; 11th, AA 2012 Olympic Test Event, London, Great Britain: 6th, PB, 14th, AA 2011 World Championships, Tokyo, Japan: 5th, team
Alexis Torres, Puerto Rico Birthdate: 1/23/1994 Hometown: Catana, Puerto Rico Club: Pennsylvania State University Coach: Randy Jepson School: Penn State University Parents: Jose Torres and Marless Serrano
Competition results 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China: 21st, team; 76th AA 2012 Olympic Test Event, London, Great Britain: 7th, team
Donnell Whittenburg, USA Birthdate: 8/18/1994 Sibling(s): Taneisha, Latisha, Damon Hometown: Baltimore, Md. Hobbies/favorite activities: Skateboarding or Club: Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic drumming Training Center) Favorite music: All kinds Head coach: Vitaly Marinitch Favorite book(s): none Nickname: Don Don Favorite movie(s): “Mortal Kombat,” “American High school: Edgewood High School Pie,” “Zombieland” Began gymnastics: 2002 Favorite TV show(s): “Family Guy,” “Ninja How did you get involved in gymnastics: Warrior,” “Deadliest Warrior,” “Unbeatable began gymnastics because I was teaching Banzuke,” “Man Vs. Wild” myself skills and doing "back yard gymnastics" Favorite Food: I LOVE FOOD!! and my mom didn't want me to hurt myself. My Charity Involvement: none coach saw me in classes and told my mom to Other sports involvement: Soccer, Football, put me on the team. Basketball Parents/guardians: Shelia Brown
Career Highlights • 2015 Winter Cup parallel bars silver medalist and all-around bronze medalist • 2014 DTB Pokal World Cup all-around bronze medalist • 2014 World Championships team bronze medalist • 2014 U.S. vault champion and still rings silver medalist • 2014 Winter Cup all-around and still rings silver medalist
Competition Results 2015 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev. - 2nd-PB; 3rd-AA; 4th-SR(T); 5th-FX(T) 2014 DTB Pokal World Cup - 3rd-AA 2014 World Championships, Nanning, China - 3rd-Team; 7th-PB 2014 P&G Championships, Pittsburgh, Pa. - 1st-VT; 2nd-SR; 4th-AA; 6th-PB; 7th-FX 2014 National Qualifier, Colorado Springs, Colo. - 1st-AA, VT; 2nd-FX; 3rd-SR; 5th-PH 2014 Doha Challenge Cup, Doha, Qatar - 4th-PB 2014 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev. - 2nd-AA, SR; 4th-VT(T); 6th-FX; 7th-PB 2013 DTB Team Challenge, Stuttgart, Germany - 5th-Team 2013 P&G Championships, Hartford, Conn. - 6th-SR; 7th-VT; 8th-PB 2013 National Qualifier, Colorado Springs, Colo. - 1st-SR(T); 2nd-AA, PB; 3rd-PH(T); 7th-HB 2013 Winter Cup Challenge - Las Vegas, Nev. - 6th-VT; 7th-SR 2012 Mexican Open, Acapulco, Mexico - 6th-AA