U.S. Team Wins Silver at World Gymnastics Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Nov. 1, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State men’s gymnast Raj Bhavsar (Jr., Houston, Texas) was part of the U.S. team that earned the silver medal at the 2001 World Gymnastics Championships in Ghent, Belgium, Oct. 31. It is the first silver medal ever won by the United States. Ohio State head coach Miles Avery is an assistant coach for the U.S. squad.
Belarus won the gold medal with a score of 169.622, followed by the U.S. with a total of 166.845. Ukraine was third (165.483), followed by France (165.283). Defending Olympic champion China (165.26) was fifth.
The last time the United States won a medal at the world championships was in 1979, when the squad earned bronze in Fort Worth, Texas.
The U.S. team included Bhavsar, Paul Hamm, Stephen McCain, Brett McClure, Sean Townsend and Guard Young. In all, teams from 40 nations competed in the event, which included a qualification round and the finals.
Bhavsar placed 21st in the all-around qualifier (out of 268 gymnasts), posting a score of 53.836. He did not compete in the all-around finals.
“This feels absolutely great,” Bhavsar said. “This has been a superb year for me, winning NCAA’s and then this. I love team meets. Just knowing that we made history here today is unbelievable. It hasn’t even sunken in yet. Bring on the next one in 2003.”
The world championships will be broadcast on ESPN from 2-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23 from and from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25. ESPN has not yet announced the format for the shows in regards to the men’s and women’s competitions.
The Ohio State men’s gymnastics team, the 2001 NCAA and Big Ten champion, opens its season at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 with the mixed pairs intrasquad event.
