Poor John Orozco! After his lackluster performance in last night's male gymnastics team finals, the 19-year-old Puerto Rican teen must be feeling the heat this morning.
Though most thought Orozco and fellow Latino gymnast, Danell Levya, would be the ones to take the U.S. team to first place, both athletes actually made crucial mistakes and fell off the Pommel horse during their routines. After also taking a second spill on the vault, Orozco was brought to tears of disappointment and embarrassment. Team U.S.A. eventually took a shocking and devastating fifth place.
Now, Orozco is facing some heavy criticism, with tons of fans, viewers, and media accusing him of costing the U.S. team the gold medal. But though I was hoping for a better result from their competition just like everyone else, I have to say I wish everyone would stop hating on him!
Though Orozco might not have performed his best, I think it's completely ridiculous that people are singling him out as the failure of the group. He, Levya, and several other gymnasts all made mistakes, but for some reason, Orozco is the one taking all of the blame–which is just plain unfair!
Read more ¿Qué más?: Olympics 2012: 3 breakout Latino athletes to root for!
If anything, the world should be cheering Orozco on. After all, having faced what I'm sure is a humiliating and disappointing defeat, he handled the whole thing remarkably well with no signs of rage or bad sportmanship. Yes, he might have teared up a little, but who wouldn't if put in his shoes? He is facing a tremendous amount of pressure in front of a huge, international audience…and oh yeah, he's only 19! Come on, give him a break!
Want to stay updated on other Olympic news? Like us on Facebook!
Besides, he still has plenty of chances to redeem himself. Orozco still needs to compete in the all-around event, which is considered the biggest prize, as well as some individual events. And personally, I will be rooting for him with the same amount of enthusiasm and pride as always. He deserves credit and praise for getting this far and I just hope that he doesn't let the critics affect his faith in himself.
Do you think Orozco will be able to bounce back from his performance? Tell us in the comments below!
Image via Getty Images
