Blaine Wilson

Blaine Wilson

Personal information
Full name	Blaine Carew Wilson
Born	August 3, 1974 (1974-08-03) (age 49) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Medal record Men's artistic gymnastics Representing  United States Olympic Games 2004 Athens Team competition World Championships 2003 Anaheim Team competition

Blaine Carew Wilson (born August 3, 1974) is a retired American gymnast. He is a five-time U.S. national champion (1996-2000), a three-time Olympian (1996, 2000, 2004), and an Olympic silver medalist in the team competition at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Biography

Blaine Wilson was born Columbus, Ohio.^[1] He comes from a sports-minded family and is named after baseball great Rod Carew and former Dallas Cowboys guard Blaine Nye. Wilson's father started him in gymnastics at age four because he was so energetic. Wilson competed in college for Ohio State University, where he was coached by 1976 bronze-medal winner Peter Kormann. In 1997, Wilson won the 1997 Big Ten Athlete of the Year award as well as the Nissen Award (the "Heisman" of men's gymnastics).^[2]

Wilson won his first national all-around title at the 1996 Coca-Cola National Championships and went on to win the next four consecutive national titles. Wilson was the first man to win five consecutive national all-around titles since USA Gymnastics was named the sport's national governing body, and the third man to win five consecutive U.S. all-around titles (or more) in gymnastics history.

At the 2004 Olympics, Wilson won the silver medal with the U.S. team in the team competition. He also placed fifth with the U.S. team at both the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. At the 1999 World Championships, he placed fourth in the all-around and sixth in the team competition. In 1995, in his first World Championship appearance, he was the highest U.S. all-around finisher (25th).

Wilson won his first World Championship medal at the 2003 World Championships where he helped the U.S. team win the silver medal. Months later, at the 2004 Visa American Cup, Wilson tore his left biceps tendon, and vowed to return for the 2004 Olympic Games. His hard work and determination earned him a spot on his third Olympic team. Wilson and the U.S. team went on to win the silver medal in Athens.

Wilson married professional volleyball player Makare Desilets^{[permanent dead link]} on March 28, 2001, whom he met at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They celebrated the birth of their first living child, a daughter, Wakaya, on Oct. 4, 2002, after suffering the loss of a son. Blaine and Makare divorced in 2006. Wilson married rhythmic gymnast Aliane Baquerot. The couple were both performing on The Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, and after their stop in Sacramento, traveled to Reno, Nevada and married there.^[3] Blaine and Aliane have two sons, Jackson and Bodhi.

On May 22, 2008, during the first night of competition at the Men's USA Championships, Wilson announced his retirement from the sport of gymnastics.^[4]

In 2013, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.^[5]

Blaine currently resides in Columbus where he owns and manages his own gymnastics, cheerleading, and volleyball training facility, Integrity Athletics, in Plain City, Ohio.

References

External links

• Blaine Wilson at the International Gymnastics Federation
• Blaine Wilson at USA Gymnastics
• Blaine Wilson at the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame
• Blaine Wilson at Olympics.com
• Blaine Wilson at Olympedia

• v
• t
• e

1996 USA Olympic Gymnastics Team

Men's artistic gymnastics athletes

Team	Mihai Bagiu Jair Lynch John Macready John Roethlisberger Kip Simons Chainey Umphrey Blaine Wilson

Women's artistic gymnastics athletes

Team (Magnificent Seven)	Amanda Borden Amy Chow Dominique Dawes Shannon Miller Dominique Moceanu Jaycie Phelps Kerri Strug

Rhythmic gymnastics athletes

Individuals	Jessica Davis
Group	Aliane Baquerot Mandy James Kate Nelson Brandi Siegel Challen Sievers Becky Turner

Coaches

• Peter Kormann (Men's artistic head coach)
• Mark Williams (Men's artistic assistant coach)
• Márta Károlyi (Women's artistic head coach)
• Mary Lee Tracy (Women's artistic assistant coach)
• Jan Exner (Rhythmic individual coach)
• Rossitza Todorova (Rhythmic group coach)