ST. LOUIS — Danell Leyva is only the third American man to win an Olympic all-around medal, and you have to go back 30-plus years to find someone who’s won more at the world gymnastics championships.
Yet halfway through the selection process for the Rio Olympics, Leyva finds himself in the rare position of underdog.
And he’s OK with that.
“It’s kind of cool coming to a meet like this unexpected,” Leyva said following training Wednesday. “It makes a better story. I’ve always been into the dramatics and theatrics of it all, so it’s really cool to see somebody come out of nowhere and make a big impact.