After the disappointing fifth place team finish for Team USA at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Jake Dalton is certainly not satisfied going into Rio. An entire quadrennium removed from a humbling performance in London, Dalton and fellow national team members are seeking more in Rio. They are seeking redemption. In an exclusive sit down with the 2012 Olympian and Rio hopeful, Dalton discusses the challenges lying ahead of him for Rio and how his 2012 Olympic experience may have shaped his entire gymnastics career.
With only a month and a half until the long awaited Rio 2016 Olympics Games and the U.S. Men's Gymnastics Olympic Trials in St. Louis beginning in less than five days, the top American gymnasts are working their way into the form of their life with the two biggest competitions of the past four years looming.
While some gymnasts may be nervous or even dreadful going into the Olympic trials, Dalton is the opposite. When asked how close he believes he is to being in his peak form for Rio, the 2013 world floor exercise silver medalist said, "90-95%. With Olympic Trials so close so I want to be fairly ready and consistent but there are a few things I would like to clean up," added Dalton.
Asked how he would rate his performance at the P&G Men's Gymnastics Championships and what he wants to improve most upon, the 24-year-old said, "8 out of 10. I think it was a great starting point for me and would like to improve on parallel bars and high bar. They were improved but not to the point where I was in practice and would like to work on it for trials," concluded Dalton.
After an encouraging third place finish at Hartford's P&G Men's Gymnastics Championships, Dalton certainly is looking in good form to make the Olympic team. The former University of Oklahoma standout and current national team member placed first on floor exercise and vault in Hartford, taking home two more national titles to add to his medal count.
When asked if he believes floor and vault are his best chances for a first Olympic medal, Dalton said, "Yes. Those are my two best events. Medaling at worlds is significant so it gives me more confidence. There are more competitors at worlds," concluded Dalton.
While the U.S. may not be the favorites for the team gold medal going into Rio, American gymnastics fans certainly can be hopeful of a podium finish for the red, white, and blue. After a sub-par finish at the last Olympics, Dalton and other Team USA gymnasts certainly will be looking for more.
When asked if he believes a podium finish is the expectation for the US going into Rio, the two-time world bronze medal team member said, "Yes absolutely. I know we are top three but we would like to be number. On our best day I think it is possible to be on top of the podium but a lot of the other teams are extremely good but our strong showing at the P&G championships shows the depth that the US men’s team has," said Dalton. "Everyone is looking really good right now there is still time, but we are expected to be one of the best teams there," added the Nevada native.
With four of the five London 2012 team member competing at next week's Olympic Trials, experience certainly doesn't differentiate Jake Dalton from any other gymnasts, but it does define him. When asked how he believes this time around differs from 2012, Dalton said, "It’s different because of my past experience. I have been through the process of qualifying for an Olympic team. Last time it was new to me but now I know what to expect in the process and from myself," concluded the four-time world medalist.
While Dalton looks as close to a lock for the Olympics as you can get in gymnastics, the 2012 Olympian's Road to Rio was not looking as smooth as it is now a year ago. For most male gymnasts, shoulder surgery is something one can never recover from, but not Jake Dalton.
Dalton, who has a world-class skill on parallel bars named after him, came back earlier this year, but when asked if he believed he would be one of the favorites for the Olympic team this time last year, the 13-time national medalist said, "It was scary having surgery that close but I planned it out to have enough time. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise having surgery early because it takes a while but I have healed and am back and ready as ever," said a determined Dalton.
Due to the shoulder surgery last year, the US national team member was forced to miss the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, meaning he and teammate John Orozco would both have to face the dreaded Aquece Rio Test Event to qualify for the Olympics. In Rio at the final Olympic qualifier, the 2012 Olympian performed well, showing signs of his best, but only coming home with a silver medal on vault.
Despite a potentially disappointing performance at the test event, Dalton was able to take the positives out of it. Asked how it prepares him for the real deal in a few months time in Rio, Dalton said, "The most important thing was just being in the competition arena and seeing how everything is set up and test out the equipment. That was the biggest advantage just being able to experience it all already and so I won’t have to adjust if I make the team," said the Oklahoma resident.
For Dalton, a lot of what has shaped him in his entire gymnastics career has been his time at the University of Oklahoma. As a Sooner, Dalton earned multiple all-American honors and took home the NCAA title on vault and floor exercise in 2011. For many gymnasts, college gymnastics is like nothing else. The team environment combined with competing for something more than yourself always seems to manifest itself as one of the most unique and beneficial four years of a gymnast's life.
Asked how college gymnastics has played a role in his career since, he said, "It has helped tremendously not only with confidence but learning to compete as a team. I thrive off of that and love my teammates cheering for me. It brings that comradery," added the current US national team member.
Another one of the unique aspects of gymnastics particularly in America is the relatively side-by-side nature of men's and women's gymnastics. With the U.S. Women's National Gymnastics Team having won the London 2012 team gold medal and the last three all-around gold medalists coming from America, the US women have been absolutely dominant in creating their dynasty on women's gymnastics. Unlike the men, who have not taken a team gold medal since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the women are near locks to win a second straight team gold medal led by three-time world all-around champion Simone Biles.
When asked if the success of the women ever inspire the men, the 24-year-old said, "A little bit. They don’t train in the same area at training camps. The women train in Houston and the men train in Colorado Springs. It is motivating though to try to dominate the way they do. Our sport has been dominated by China and Japan for so long and want to be as good as they are but we are closer and closer to Japan and China with being concentrated on increasing on the medal count," added Dalton, one of the veterans of the current crop of Olympic hopefuls.
With Rio only a month and a half away now and the Olympic Trials beginning in less than five days, the time is now for Jake Dalton to pursue a coveted first Olympic medal. Despite challenges and road blocks along the way, the resiliency of the 24-year-old Nevada native has always prevailed. Whether this is a sign of future things to come in Rio, one will have to see, but the future looks bright for Jake Dalton.
When asked what his personal goals are going into a second Olympics, it was quite simple, "Come away with a team medal. Redemption from London. Do individual events as best I can and let everything else play out," concluded Dalton.
While redemption may be on many of Dalton's London teammates' minds, one thing sets the four-time world medalist apart, his determination. For Dalton, the Road to Rio may seem long and full of more hard work, but the 2012 Olympian's current form and mindset may just have him in the form of his life, poised to break through and claim that elusive, first Olympic medal.