Raj Bhavsar

Infobox Gymnast
gymnastname= Raj Bhavsar

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fullname= Stephen Raj Bhavsar [Date of birth found on the " [http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/txbirths?c=search&first=Raj&last=Bhavsar&spelling=Exact&11_year=&11_month=0&11_day=0&4=&14=&SubmitSearch.x=47&SubmitSearch.y=4 Texas Birth Index 1926-1995] ", under Bhavsar, Stephen Raj, on 7 September 1980.]
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country= USA
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birthdate= birth date and age|1980|09|07
birthplace= Houston, Texas
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discipline= MAG
level= Senior International
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gym=Team Chevron/Houston Gymnastics Academy
collegeteam=Ohio State University
headcoach= Kevin Mazekia, Miles Avery
assistcoach=Doug Stibel
formercoach=
choreographer=Arnold Kvetenadze
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Raj Bhavsar (born September 7, 1980) 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. He was originally an alternate, but was named to the team following the injury withdrawal of Paul Hamm. [ [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/07/hamms-replaceme.html "Hamm's replacement named"] "Los Angeles Times," July 28 2008] At the Games, Bhavsar earned a bronze medal with the U.S. team in Artistic Gymnastics with teammates Alexander Artemev, Joey Hagerty, Jonathan Horton, Justin Spring, and Kai Wen Tan.

He was a contender for the 2004 Olympic Team, and was named as an alternate.

Biography

Bhavsar is the son of Jyotindra and Surekha Bhavsar. He grew up in Houston, Texas and attended Wolfe Elementary, Mayde Creek Junior High and Mayde Creek High School. During this time he trained at Cypress Academy of Gymnastics under his coach Bill Foster.

Bhavsar was a member of the United States team to the 2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and won the silver medal with the team. He won a second silver medal at the 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

At the 2004 Olympic Trials, he was in contention for the U.S. Olympic Team. He was named as an alternate.In 2004 he was first in the rings in the trials, and fourth overall in the national championships and was still passed over. In 2008 he was third in the Olympic trials and the Visa championships and still wound up an alternate to the 6-man team. This was due to the fact that his strongest events overlapped with those of Paul Hamm and Morgan Hamm, and the team needed gymnasts who were stronger in other disciplines. However, after Paul Hamm was injured, Bhavsar was selected to the team as first alternate and competed in the team final to win a bronze medal behind China(1) and Japan(2).

He attended Ohio State University and won the NCAA title with that team. He won the All-Around at the 2002 NCAA Championships.

His hometown is in Houston, Texas.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/gymnastics/2008-08-11-bhavsar_N.htm USA's Bhavasar finally realizes his dream] at [http://USATODAY.COM USATODAY.COM]