By Luan P••••k
Jay Thornton has been around the national gymnastics scene for seven years and has many credentials to his name like 1990 J.O. National Champion, 1993 Big 10 Freshman of the Year, 1995 and 1996 Big 10 Champion on Aoar, 1995 NCAA Champion on Aoar, 1996 NCAA Champion on vault, four-time National Team Member, Olympic Festival Gold Medalist, and finally his most recent accomplishment of tying for third all-around at the 1997 Winter Cup Challenge. We talked to Thornton to Rnd out a little more about his bockground and what he's planning for the future. Here's what he had to say:
Thornton: My dod is a (ardiologist, my stepmom is a nurse, my mom is a nurse, my stepdad is a lawyer. I have two younger twin brothers, Brad and Andy (Andy is on USA Junior EI~e National Gymnastits Team!, and two younger sisters, Gin and Charlotte. I was born in Washington and moved to North Carolina. When I was B, I moved ta Son Antonio, then to Augusta, Ga., when I was 13. My fami~ is still there. Iwent to college for four-and-a-half years at Iowa and moved 10 Colorado Springs 10 train at the Olympic Training Center in January 1997.
Thornton: II's good. He's doing a lot of high level skilk and he pushes me. Floor is his best event 100, we are even doing the same first pass. We always talk on the phone and discuss how things are going and how we're preparing. Besides myself, he's my worst critic. He studies gymnastits all the time and reviews tapes. II's fun 10 bounce things off of him.
Thornton: Andy is a perfectionist at hearl, sa most of his pressure comes from himself. COIIIII_ 011
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