Blaine Wilson
Personal information
Full nameBlaine Carew Wilson
BornAugust 3, 1974 (1974-08-03) (age 49)
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens Team competition
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 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 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

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Blaine Wilson". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2015-09-08.
  2. ↑ "Nissen Emery Award". Archived from the original on August 23, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Gymnast Blaine Wilson weds
  4. ↑ Blaine Wilson Retires – Gymnast.com Archived May 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Dr. Robert Goldman (March 12, 2013). "2013 International Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". www.sportshof.org. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
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