Openly gay gymnast Josh Dixon earned a spot on the U.S. Men's Senior National Team with his 10th-place all-around performance at the P&G Gymnastics Championships in Hartford, Conn.
Dixon's highlights included sixth-place finishes in the floor exercise and hi-bar. He finished in the top 19 of every event except parallel bars, where he finished 25th. He had been fourth in the all-around after the first day before slipping a bit on Day 2.
"It was a good competition to see where I stack up against the rest of the field," Dixon told Outsports. "It's the first meet we've had where all of our top athletes are there healthy and competing. And it's great to know that I'm in the top 10, hopefully on my way to the top five. It will help me dig deep during those tough practices and see that I have the potential to be a top contender within USA Gymnastics."
Being named to the National Team means he is one of 15 athletes who are eligible to represent the United States in international competitions.
Dixon came out publicly on Outsports last year in the midst of his training for the U.S. Olympic trials. Dixon made it to the finals but missed a spot on the Olympic team. He has been training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center ever since with his eyes focused on making the Olympic team in 2016.
You can follow Dixon on Twitter.
BTW, how strong is Dixon? He missed the bar with one hand on his hi-bar routine and held on like nothing happened. That's crazy strong…
Joshua Dixon – High Bar – 2013 P&G Championships – Sr. Men – Day 1 (via usagymnasticsorg)
Joshua Dixon – Floor Exercise – 2013 P&G Championships – Sr. Men – Day 1 (via usagymnasticsorg)
