Jonathan Horton
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Alan Horton is an American
gymnast
. He is the 2008 Olympic silver medalist on high bar
and the 2010 Worlds all-around bronze medalist
. He is married to Haley DeProspero, former gymnast for the University of Oklahoma.
Jonathan began gymnastics in 1990. "I was a wild child," Horton said. "I once climbed a pole in the middle of Target all the way to the ceiling. I used to do back flips on my parents' bed and I rode a garage door to the top when I was 3 years old."
Jonathan won the 2008 Olympic silver medal on the high bar. He was a member of the U.S. team to the 2006 and 2007 World Gymnastics Championships
and finished fourth in the all-around at the latter. At the 2010 World Championships, he won the all-around bronze medal. The following year, he was captain of the U.S. team that won the bronze medal at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
. He is a 17-time medalist at the U.S. National Championships, including all-around wins in 2009 and 2010.
Horton was named to the U.S. Olympic team
following the men's competition at the 2008 Olympic Trials, where he won the All-Around. The team entered the 2008 Beijing Olympics amongst much skepticism as to whether the team could compete against such established teams as the Japanese, Chinese, and German teams. Injuries had forced team leaders Paul Hamm
and Morgan Hamm
to withdraw from competition, thus causing the American team to bring in alternates Raj Bhavsar
and Alexander Artemev
. The American men performed better than many had anticipated, with Horton being the team's top performer. The American team ended the competition with the bronze medal
after a stressful pommel horse
event. In the event finals, Horton added a silver medal in the high bar event.
. The tour began on September 7, 2008 and concluded on November 16. The dance sets had a mix of hip hop and contemporary dance with gymnastic elements.
Video interviews
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
. He is the 2008 Olympic silver medalist on high bar
Gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, three different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium on August 9–19. The rhythmic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing...
and the 2010 Worlds all-around bronze medalist
2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held at the Ahoy Rotterdam indoor sporting arena in the Netherlands from 16 to 24 October 2010. In this year's championships, there was a total of 73 participating federations with 615 gymnasts...
. He is married to Haley DeProspero, former gymnast for the University of Oklahoma.
Jonathan began gymnastics in 1990. "I was a wild child," Horton said. "I once climbed a pole in the middle of Target all the way to the ceiling. I used to do back flips on my parents' bed and I rode a garage door to the top when I was 3 years old."
Jonathan won the 2008 Olympic silver medal on the high bar. He was a member of the U.S. team to the 2006 and 2007 World Gymnastics Championships
World Gymnastics Championships
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique organises World Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines:...
and finished fourth in the all-around at the latter. At the 2010 World Championships, he won the all-around bronze medal. The following year, he was captain of the U.S. team that won the bronze medal at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Tokyo, Japan, from October 7–16, 2011 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.Due to uncertainty over the nuclear situation following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the International Federation of Gymnastics revealed it was...
. He is a 17-time medalist at the U.S. National Championships, including all-around wins in 2009 and 2010.
Horton was named to the U.S. Olympic team
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...
following the men's competition at the 2008 Olympic Trials, where he won the All-Around. The team entered the 2008 Beijing Olympics amongst much skepticism as to whether the team could compete against such established teams as the Japanese, Chinese, and German teams. Injuries had forced team leaders Paul Hamm
Paul Hamm
Paul Elbert Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He is a World Champion gymnast and three-time Olympic medalist. He won the all-around competition at the 2004 Olympic Games.-Career:...
and Morgan Hamm
Morgan Hamm
Morgan Carl Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics and at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won the silver medal in the team competition. He was a member of the silver-medal winning team at the 2003 World Artistic...
to withdraw from competition, thus causing the American team to bring in alternates Raj Bhavsar
Raj Bhavsar
Raj Bhavsar is an American artistic gymnast of Indian descent. He was a member of the 2001 and 2003 World Champion U.S. team. He earned a bronze medal as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, becoming the third Indian-American ever to medal at the Olympics, after Mohini Bhardwaj and Alexi Grewal...
and Alexander Artemev
Alexander Artemev
Alexander Vladimirovich "Sasha" Artemev is an American artistic gymnast. He is the 2006 all-around U.S. National Champion, the 2007 and 2008 U.S. National Champion on the pommel horse and an individual bronze medalist at the 2006 World Championships. Artemev was a member of the bronze medal...
. The American men performed better than many had anticipated, with Horton being the team's top performer. The American team ended the competition with the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
after a stressful pommel horse
Pommel horse
The pommel horse is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. Traditionally, it is used by only male gymnasts. Originally made of a metal frame with a wooden body and a leather cover, modern pommel horses have a metal body covered with foam rubber and leather, with plastic handles .- History :The pommel...
event. In the event finals, Horton added a silver medal in the high bar event.
National competition results
- 2011 Visa Championships (US Nationals), Saint Paul, MN: 2nd-AA
- 2011 AT&T American Cup, Jacksonville, FL: 1st-AA
- 2010 Visa Championships (US Nationals), Hartford, CT: 1st-AA
- 2009 Visa Championships (US Nationals), Dallas, TX.:1st-AA, HB, SR; 2nd-FX
- 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials: 1st-AA
- 2008 Visa Championships (US Nationals): 2nd-AA, SR; 3rd-FX
- 2008 NCAA Championships: 1st team; 2nd-AA; 1st-SR
- 2008 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev.: 3rd-SR
- 2007 Visa Championships, San Jose, Calif.: 4th-PB, SR; 6th-AA
- 2007 NCAA Championships, State College, Pa.: 1st-FX, HB; 2nd-AA(T); 2nd-Team; 3rd-SR
- 2007 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev.: 2nd-FX(T); 4th-PB(T); 6th-HB
- 2006 Visa Championships, St. Paul, Minn.: 1st-FX; 2nd-AA; 3rd-HB(T); 4th-SR
- 2006 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, Norman, Okla.: 1st-AA, FX, SR
- 2006 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev.: 2nd-AA; 3rd-FX, SR, HB
- 2005 Visa Championships, Indianapolis, Ind.: 5th-AA, FX, VT
- 2005 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, West Point, N.Y.: 1st-Team; 3rd-AA, HB(T); 4th-FX
- 2005 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev.: 1st-FX(T); 4th-VT
- 2004 Visa Championships, Nashville, Tenn.:
- 2004 Winter Cup, Las Vegas, Nev.:
- 2003 National Championships, Milwaukee, Wis.: 1st-AA (Jr. Div)
- 2003 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships, Savannah, Ga.: 2nd-HB; 3rd-AA; 4th-SR, PB
- 2003 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, Nev.: Individual Event Finalist
- 2002 U.S. Championships, Cleveland, Ohio: 1st-SR, VT; 2nd-AA, FX; 5th-HB(T)
- 2002 U.S. Men's Qualifier, Colorado Springs, Colo.:
- 2002 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships, San Diego, Calif.: 1st-AA; 2nd-FX, SR, VT, PB; 3rd-HB
- 2000 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships, Austin, Texas: 2nd-AA; 3rd-SR, VT
- 1999 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships, Houston, Texas
- 1998 Circle of Stars, Indianapolis, Indiana: 1st FX, PH, SR, VT, PB, HB, AA
International competition results
- 2011 World Championships, Tokyo, Japan: 3rd -Team; 7th-SR
- 2010 World Championships, Rotterdam, Netherlands: 4th-Team; 3rd-AA
- 2009 World Championships, London, England
- 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: 3rd-Team; 2nd-HB
- 2008 Tyson American Cup, New York, N.Y.: 5th-AA
- 2007 World Championships, Stuttgart, Germany: 4th-Team, AA
- 2007 USA vs. UKR vs. RUS, Kiev, Ukraine: 1st-AA; 3rd-Team
- 2007 Tyson American Cup, Jacksonville, Fla.: 1st-AA
- 2006 World Championships, Aarhus, Denmark: Team
- 2006 France/Switzerland/USA Meet, Paris, France: 1st-Team; 2nd-AA
- 2006 Tyson American Cup, Philadelphia, Pa.: 1st-AA
- 2005 Pan American Championships, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 1st-Team
- 2005 World Cup, Paris, France:
- 2003 Junior International Invitational, Yokohama, Japan: 2nd-AA; 3rd-HB
- 2003 Pan American Games, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: 3rd-Team; 4th-AA(T)
2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars
Jonathan performed alongside his 2008 Beijing Olympic teammates at The 2008 Tour of Gymnastics SuperstarsThe Tour of Gymnastics Superstars
The Tour of Gymnastics Superstars was a nationwide concert tour that showcases the talents of 17 American gymnasts as well as recording artists Jordan Pruitt, Carly Patterson, and KSM...
. The tour began on September 7, 2008 and concluded on November 16. The dance sets had a mix of hip hop and contemporary dance with gymnastic elements.
External links
- J-Horton.com : The First Fan site for Jonathan Horton
- Jonathan Horton: Official Website
- Jonathan Horton NBC Olympics Athlete page
- GK Elite - Jonathan Horton Sponsor
Video interviews