Raj Bhavsar
Encyclopedia
Raj Bhavsar is an American artistic gymnast of Indian (Gujarati) 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
. 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.
and attended Bear Creek Elementary, 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, yet was passed over. In 2008 he was third in the Olympic trials and the Visa Championships and again 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. After Paul Hamm was injured, Bhavsar was selected to the team which earned a bronze medal.
He attended Ohio State University
and won the NCAA title with that team. He won the All-Around at the 2002 NCAA Championships.
Bhavsar is the creator of two new gymnastics elements, which are now named after him. "The Bhavsar" on the still rings was created in 2003. It is a front lever start with movement into a final position called a Maltese. "The Bhavsar" on parallel bars was created and performed in 2009 at the Moscow World Cup. This is a tkatchev style release move starting on one end of the bars and finishing on the other.
After obtaining his goals as an Olympic gymnast, in 2010 Bhavsar started working for Cirque du Soleil
as an artist for their performance show Iris
which debuts in July 2011.
World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The World Artistic Gymnastics Championships are the World Championships for artistic gymnastics. They have been held since 1903.* * First time track and field event fully disappeared from the sport of gymnastics.- All-time medal count :...
. He earned a bronze medal as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...
, becoming the third Indian-American ever to medal at the Olympics, after Mohini Bhardwaj
Mohini Bhardwaj
Mohini Bhardwaj is a retired American gymnast who competed at the 1997 and 2001 World Championships and earned a team silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
and Alexi Grewal
Alexi Grewal
Alexi Singh Grewal ' is a Sikh-American Olympic gold medalist and former professional road racing cyclist. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Grewal became the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in road cycling...
. He was originally an alternate, but was named to the team following the injury withdrawal of Paul Hamm
Paul Hamm
Paul Elbert Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He is a World Champion gymnast and three-time Olympic medalist. He won the all-around competition at the 2004 Olympic Games.-Career:...
. At the Games, Bhavsar earned a bronze medal with the U.S. team in Artistic Gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
with teammates Alexander Artemev
Alexander Artemev
Alexander Vladimirovich "Sasha" Artemev is an American artistic gymnast. He is the 2006 all-around U.S. National Champion, the 2007 and 2008 U.S. National Champion on the pommel horse and an individual bronze medalist at the 2006 World Championships. Artemev was a member of the bronze medal...
, Joey Hagerty, Jonathan Horton
Jonathan Horton
Jonathan Alan Horton is an American gymnast. He is the 2008 Olympic silver medalist on high bar and the 2010 Worlds all-around bronze medalist. He is married to Haley DeProspero, former gymnast for the University of Oklahoma....
, Justin Spring
Justin Spring
Justin Edward Spring is a retired American gymnast. He is a member of the bronze medal winning U.S. team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He was also a top gymnast in NCAA competition, where he represented the University of Illinois....
, 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 was born in Houston. He was raised in Greater HoustonGreater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
and attended Bear Creek Elementary, 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
2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 35th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Ghent, Belgium, in 2001 at the Flanders Sports Arena. This was the first Worlds at which the 6-3-3—six athletes per team, three compete, all three scores count—format was used in team finals...
and won the silver medal with the team. He won a second silver medal at the 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 37th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Anaheim, California, United States, in 2003.Tie-breakers were not used at this competition...
.
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, yet was passed over. In 2008 he was third in the Olympic trials and the Visa Championships and again 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
Paul Hamm
Paul Elbert Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He is a World Champion gymnast and three-time Olympic medalist. He won the all-around competition at the 2004 Olympic Games.-Career:...
and Morgan Hamm
Morgan Hamm
Morgan Carl Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics and at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won the silver medal in the team competition. He was a member of the silver-medal winning team at the 2003 World Artistic...
, and the team needed gymnasts who were stronger in other disciplines. After Paul Hamm was injured, Bhavsar was selected to the team which earned a bronze medal.
He attended Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
and won the NCAA title with that team. He won the All-Around at the 2002 NCAA Championships.
Bhavsar is the creator of two new gymnastics elements, which are now named after him. "The Bhavsar" on the still rings was created in 2003. It is a front lever start with movement into a final position called a Maltese. "The Bhavsar" on parallel bars was created and performed in 2009 at the Moscow World Cup. This is a tkatchev style release move starting on one end of the bars and finishing on the other.
After obtaining his goals as an Olympic gymnast, in 2010 Bhavsar started working for Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
as an artist for their performance show Iris
Iris (Cirque du Soleil)
Iris, the first show produced by Cirque du Soleil to be located at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California, premiered on September 25, 2011 after preview performances which began on July 21. The cost for production of the show is , and is scheduled to run for 10 years. Iris is directed by...
which debuts in July 2011.