The field is set for the 2009 Tyson American Cup. 2008 U.S. Olympian Joey Hagerty and 2008 U.S. All-Around Champion David Sender will represent the United States.  Two more Americans will be selected after next month’s Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas.

This is great news that Sender’s career is still alive, especially after his heartbreaking ankle injury suffered just prior to the Olympic Trials.  That injury most likely kept him off the 2008 Men’s Olympic Gymnastics Team. Here is the rest of the field:

• Benoit Caranobe – France
• Fabian Hambuechen – Germany
• Koji Uematsu – Japan
• Luis Rivera – Puerto Rico
• Flavius Koczi – Romania
• Yuri Ryazanov – Russia
• Jose Luis Fuentes – Venezuela

Caranobe was the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the All-Around and also finished 5th on vault.  Fabian Hambuechen was one of the pre-Olympic All-Around favorites and ended up finishing in 7th place.  One of the world’s best on high bar, Hambuechen captured the bronze.  Koczi took 7th place on vault.

This announcement makes the 2009 Winter Cup all the more interesting to find out which Americans will fill the final two slots.  One additional international competitor will also be named at that time.

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