Several very impressive international athletes have been added to the roster for the 2016 AT&T American Cup. Many of these gymnasts competed in the all-around finals at the 2015 World Championships and will contribute to a very exciting American Cup competition

Release via USA Gymnastics
 
NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 12, 2016 – Olympic medalists Fabian Hambuechen of Germany and Ryohei Kato of Japan are among the 14 international gymnasts who have accepted invitations to compete at the 2016 AT&T American Cup at Prudential Center at 11:30 a.m. on March 5, 2016.  The international gymnasts have garnered 15 World and three Olympic medals, and they join the USA’s World team gold-medalists Gabrielle Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Buckeye Gymnastics, who is also the reigning Olympic all-around champion, and Maggie Nichols of Little Canada, Minn./Twin City Twisters; three-time U.S. all-around champion and 2012 Olympian Sam Mikulak of Newport Beach, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center); and two-time World medalist Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), in the field for the AT&T American Cup, the USA’s most prestigious international invitational and part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s all-around World Cup series.

Representing 11 countries, the gymnasts who have accepted invitations are listed below by country.

Men

Brazil:  Lucas De Souza Bitencourt
China:  Sun Wei
Great Britain:  Nile Wilson
Germany:  Fabian Hambuechen
Japan:  Ryohei Kato
Korea:  Junho Lee
Switzerland:  Pablo Braegger
USA:  Samuel Mikulak
USA:  Donnell Whittenburg

Women

Brazil:  Lorrane Oliveira
Canada:  Elsabeth Black
Great Britain:  Amy Tinkler
Germany: Tabea Alt
Italy:  Carlotta Ferlito
Japan:  Mai Murakami
Netherlands:  Tisha Volleman
USA:  Gabrielle Douglas
USA:  Margaret Nichols


Kato, who was second at the 2015 AT&T American Cup, was a member of Japan’s 2012 Olympic Team that won the men’s team silver.  He also has four World medals (one gold, two silver and one bronze).  Hambuechen, who won the 2009 American Cup, won the Olympic horizontal bar silver in 2012 and bronze in 2008.  He has nine career World medals (one gold, two silver and six bronze), including the 2007 horizontal bar title and an all-around silver (2007) and bronze (2013).  Wilson was a member of Britain’s men’s team that won the country’s first World team silver medal in 2015.  Tinkler was a member of Britain’s women’s team that claimed the World team bronze in 2015, the Brit’s first women’s World team medal. Black won the all-around title at the 2015 Pan American Games and has competed in three World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games. Volleman helped the Netherlands women’s team secure the country’s first team berth to the Olympics in women’s gymnastics since 1976.  Also competing in previous World Championships are Braegger (2010-13, 2015), de Souza Bitencourt (2015), Ferlito (2011, 2013, 2015; 2012 Olympics), Murakami (2013-15), and Oliveira (2015).


Related:
Douglas, Nichols To AT&T American Cup, Biles To Pacific Rim Championships