Break was over several weeks ago when Horton competed in the U.S. championships in all six events. "I'm ready. My foot feels great. My body feels great. Mentally I feel that passion for the sport again. It was a blessing for me to get hurt, as bad as that sounds."
Less than a month after surgery, Horton went against doctor's order and was training on the high bar. His friend and U.S. teammate Chris Brooks told Horton that it probably wasn't a good idea to go messing around with his one good foot nine feet off the ground. Horton responded by performing a release that requires him to somersault over the bar and catch it on the way back. Brooks still called Horton an idiot.
Horton has been the backbone of the U.S. men's gymnastic team for many years and took a different approach to his training after the surgery. He worked on his weakest event- the pommel horse- while letting his foot heal. He had a rough outing at the Winter Cup in Las Vegas in February when he fell off the horse twice, but had to remind himself that it was just a start to his Olympic comeback.
Horton won the national championship in 2010 and finished second behind Danell Leyva in 2011. The Olympic team will be picked tomorrow, July 1st, and he hopes he will be on the team. "What really matters right now is the Olympic Games. If I get fourth or if I get last, if they put me on the team because they need me, I'm going to be happy because that's my goal. I think we could be a gold medal team."
If you are an athlete who has a sports injury, call our Newington, Kensington, or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Craig M. Kaufman, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Sports Podiatrist in CT
Podiatrist in Newington, Kensington, and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, friend and like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
No comments:
Post a Comment