ESPN: Olympic medal on the line, Danell Leyva tried to find his center.
Somewhere inside O2 Arena, his mother, Maria Gonzalez, knew he wouldn’t have to look too far. Her boy enjoys being main attraction. Always has.
“He loves the show,” Gonzalez said.
Leyva certainly knows how to put one on.
The flashy 20-year-old shook off the jitters to deliver a rollicking high bar routine Wednesday night to rally for a bronze medal in the men’s gymnastics all-around final. Leyva’s score of 90.698 was just enough earn the first U.S. men’s medal in the all-around since Paul Hamm grabbed gold in Athens eight years ago.
When Leyva’s feet smacked the mat with a thud after drilling his dismount, he exploded into the arms of stepfather and coach Yin Alvarez, capping a dazzling comeback in which Leyva showcased the talents — not to mention the dramatic flair — that solidified his position as the best U.S. gymnast of his generation.
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