Raj Bhavsar

{{Infobox gymnast

| name = Raj Bhavsar

| image = Raj Bhavsar.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Bhavsar in 2008

| full_name = Stephen Raj Bhavsar

| country = United States

| regionsrepresented =

| formercountry =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|09|07}}

| birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| hometown =

| residence =

| spouse =

| training =

| height = 169 cm

| discipline = MAG

| natlteam = 2001–2009

| gym = Houston Gymnastics Academy
Team Chevron
Cypress Academy

| collegeteam = Ohio State Buckeyes

| headcoach = Kevin Mazekia, Miles Avery

| assistcoach = Doug Stibel, Dmitri Bilozerchev

| formercoach =

| eponymousskills = Bhavsar (Parallel bars)

| retired =

| worldranking =

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}

{{MedalCount

|Olympic Games|0|0|1

|World Championships|0|2|0

|Pan American Games|0|1|0

|Pacific Rim Championships|1|0|0

| total = yes

}}

Stephen Raj Bhavsar (born September 7, 1980) is an American artistic gymnast. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and competed at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships U.S. team. He earned a bronze medal as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. He was originally an alternate but was named to the team following the injury withdrawal of Paul Hamm.[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/07/hamms-replaceme.html "Hamm's replacement named"] Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2008 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.

Early life and education

Raj Bhavsar is a Gujarati.{{cite news|url=http://www.intlgymnast.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=784:interview-raj-bhavsar-usa&catid=3:interviews&Itemid=56|title=IG Online Interview: Raj Bhavsar (USA)|first=John|last=Crumlish|date=2009-03-05|publisher=International Gymnast Magazine}} He is the son of Jyotindra and Surekha Bhavsar.{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/olympian-bhavasars-dream-medal-on-grandpas-neck/articleshow/4610633.cms |title=Olympian Bhavasar's dream: Medal on grandpa's neck |last=Bezbaruah |first=Ajit |date=June 3, 2009 |website=indiatimes.com |access-date=February 21, 2025}} His father is from Vadodara, Gujarat, and his mother was born in Kampala, Uganda but educated in Gujarat. He was born in Houston.Oaklander, Mandy. Houston Press. Tuesday August 16, 2011. [http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2011/08/indian_independence_day.php?page=2 2]. Retrieved on October 20, 2011. He was raised in Greater Houston 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.

Gymnastics career

Bhavsar was a member of the United States team at the 2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and won a silver medal for the team all-around. He won a second silver medal for the team all-around 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 because 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 for the team and earned a bronze medal.

He attended Ohio State University and won the NCAA title with the Ohio State Buckeyes men's gymnastics team. He won the All-Around at the 2002 NCAA Championships.

Personal life

After achieving his goals as an Olympic gymnast, in 2010 Bhavsar started working for Cirque du Soleil as an artist for their performance show Iris which debuted in July 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0CXMaYk1TE|title=A day in the life of Raj Bhavsar, artist on IRIS|publisher=Cirque du Soleil (Media)|accessdate=2011-04-13}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead YouTube link|date=February 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://fulltwist.net/raj-bhavsar-joins-cirque-du-soleil/|title=Raj Bhavsar joins Cirque du Soleil|publisher=Full Twist|date=2010-12-15|accessdate=2011-04-13}} His cousin, Akash Modi, was also a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team.

Eponymous skills

Bhavsar currently has one named element on the parallel bars and one formerly named element on the rings.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/pdf/mag_named_elements.pdf |title=Table of Named Elements Men's Artistic Gymnastics |date=December 2023 |website=gymnastics.sport |access-date=August 13, 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.gymnastics.sport/publicdir/rules/files/en_1.1%20-%20MAG%20CoP%202025-2028.pdf |title=Men's Artistic Gymnastics Code of Points 2025–2028 |date=July 3, 2024 |website=gymnastics.sport |access-date=August 13, 2024}}

class="wikitable" \|+Gymnastics elements named after Raj Bhavsar
scope="col"\| Apparatus !scope="col"\| Name !scope="col"\| Description !scope="col"\| Difficulty{{efn\|name=difficulty\|Valid for the 2025–2028 Code of Points}} !scope="col"\| Added to Code of Points
Parallel bars \| *Bhavsar* \| "Swing forward, straddle cut backward, and regrasp with straight body at horizontal." \| align=center\|E, 0.5 \| 2009. Performed at the 2009 Moscow World Stars{{Cite web \|url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2009/6/3/mgym-former-buckeye-shows-off-original-skill-at-world-competition \|title=MGYM: Former Buckeye Shows Off Original Skill at World Competition – Ohio State Buckeyes \|date=June 3, 2009 \|website=ohiostatebuckeyes.com \|access-date=August 13, 2024}}
Rings \| *Bhavsar* \| "Pull with straight body and arms through moment. front lever to swallow (2s.)." \| align=center\|Removed from CoP on December 31, 2021. \| align=center\|2001

class="wikitable"

|+Gymnastics elements named after Raj Bhavsar

scope="col"| Apparatus

!scope="col"| Name

!scope="col"| Description

!scope="col"| Difficulty{{efn|name=difficulty|Valid for the 2025–2028 Code of Points}}

!scope="col"| Added to Code of Points

Parallel bars

| Bhavsar

| "Swing forward, straddle cut backward, and regrasp with straight body at horizontal."

| align=center|E, 0.5

| 2009. Performed at the 2009 Moscow World Stars{{Cite web |url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2009/6/3/mgym-former-buckeye-shows-off-original-skill-at-world-competition |title=MGYM: Former Buckeye Shows Off Original Skill at World Competition – Ohio State Buckeyes |date=June 3, 2009 |website=ohiostatebuckeyes.com |access-date=August 13, 2024}}

Rings

| Bhavsar

| "Pull with straight body and arms through moment. front lever to swallow (2s.)."

| align=center|Removed from CoP on December 31, 2021.

| align=center|2001

References

External links

{{Sports links}}
[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/gymnastics/2008-08-11-bhavsar_N.htm USA's Bhavasar finally realizes his dream] at [http://USATODAY.COM USATODAY.COM]

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{{Navboxes

|title = NCAA Championships for Raj Bhavsar

|titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Ohio State Buckeyes|color=white}}

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Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:American male artistic gymnasts