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London Olympics opens up a world of opportunity for "old man" gymnast JonathanHorton
Hope Solo, from left, Ryan Lochte and Serena WilliamsPhoto by Annie Leibovitz/Vogue
Jonathan HortonPhoto by Annie Leibovitz/Vogue
As the "old man" of the U.S. men's gymnastics team, 26-year-old Jonathan Horton has seen Olympic action in Beijing (2008), where he won a silver medal in the high bar event and a team bronze in the all-around competition. Now, he's back in London, and he seems to be having the time of his life.
In the June issue of Vogue, the muscular 5-foot-1 Horton posed with 5-foot-11 model Karlie Kloss in a photo shot by Annie Leibovitz. “I come from a long line of short people,” he joked in the Vogue article. “It’s almost like I was designed for the sport.”
“I’m 26. I’ve been doing this for 22 years, and I still have a hard time believing that I made it to the top."
Kloss wore an orange techno-stretch halter dress with criss-cross straps by Victoria Beckham; The shirtless Horton wore a white pair of Adidas gym pants.
The article also recalls the time when a 4-year-old Horton disappeared at a Houston-area Target store only to be found atop a 20-foot-high pole. (Horton was born in Houston and trains at the Cypress Academy.) “I’m 26. I’ve been doing this for 22 years, and I still have a hard time believing that I made it to the top,” he said.
As the team's only veteran — he's six years older than the next oldest U.S. men's gymnast — Horton is expected to provide stability and guidance to the young team at the Olympics. After breaking two bones and tearing a ligament in his foot last October, doctors told him he wouldn't be able to compete in the Olympics, but he proved them wrong.
Although some observers are concerned that he's still not at 100 percent, we can't wait to see how Horton and the U.S. men's team does. The qualification round is Saturday night with the men's team gymnastics finals Monday night on NBC (Channel 2).
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