Raj Bhavsar has a nice story. He was an alternate in 2004, and when the 2008 trials came he was named alternate once again, thinking his Olympic dream was over. He almost was ready to pack it in after 2004 but some self-reflection brought him around to thinking he should try again.
When Paul Hamm pulled out with a hurt hand, Raj was elevated to the national team and on his way to China.
In his role as Hamm’s replacement, Bhavsar will perform in five of six events in Saturday’s team prelims, based on the schedule that the U.S. men used Wednesday. Five gymnasts compete in each event in prelims, and the top four scores count.
You can see some of his Youtube videos here from the Olympic trials.
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