In an Olympic discipline featuring few top-notch Minnesota athletes, Elijah Vogel will do. Born in St. Paul in 2002, he spent about as much time here as Jesse James before his parents moved him to Colorado before he turned 1.
So, in terms of local celebrity, he isn’t exactly Suni Lee or Shane Wiskus.
Elijah Vogel (Courtesy of USA Gymnastics)
But in the world of trampoline, Vogel is a veteran with several medals under his belt, including national silver and bronze medals from the USA Gymnastics meet that brings the country’s best together in one spot.
On Wednesday night in Minneapolis, Volgel aims to add gold to his resume.
Vogel, 21, rallied from a spill on his first routine Tuesday to record one of the best of the night to place him fourth among eight qualifiers for Wednesday’s finals and kept his dream of a national championship alive at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
“It definitely was a big one,” Vogel said of his second routine. “After the first time falling, definitely was something I had to put together and get in the right head space (for) to be able to put that second one together.”
After his aborted routine netted only 18.40 points, Vogel rallied for a 57.79, fourth among 28 participants on Tuesday, to keep his dream of a gold medal alive.
“I need to get it done,” he said.
Tuesday was the second day of elite competition for USA Gymnastics’ top national meet, which will conclude with four days of Olympic Trials at Target Center starting Thursday. That competition will feature big names such as Lee and Simone Biles on the women’s side, and Brody Malone and Wiskus on the men’s side, and will decide the U.S. entrants for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris that start with Opening Ceremonies on July 26.
Vogel won’t be in Paris, although he unofficially finished third in overall points. The U.S. has Olympic spots open for both the men and the women, and the official U.S. entrants won’t be official until Wednesday because of a complicated system that won’t involve the actual national championships.
After Tuesday’s routines, Aliaksei Shostak was first and Ruben Padilla second. Vogel was in the second alternate spot until he was knocked out in the final routine.
Other non-Olympic disciplines wrapped up on Tuesday, as well, in women’s tumbling, rhythmic and acrobatics routines. The rest, including all-around winners, will be determined Wednesday at the Convention Center.
Vogel has been competing in trampoline for 16 years, ultimately dropping tumbling and double-mini trampoline to concentrate on his favorite discipline in 2017. The decision was a wise one. Since 2021, he has two goals among eight medals, including a first place at this year’s Winter Classic in Oklahoma City.
In trampoline, athletes can get as high as 30 feet off the ground.
“I love being super high in the air,” Vogel said. “I love the adrenaline of it.”
A gold on Wednesday would give him all three in the country’s biggest meet.
“If he puts down the routine that he knows he can do, he can be national champion,” said his father Aaron, who trains Elijah at his performance center in Loveland, Colo. A former artistic gymnast, Aaron Vogel and his wife lived in St. Paul, near Lake Phalen, for seven years before moving back to his native Colorado.
Wednesday’s finals is a “new life” competition. All previous scores are wiped out, and the highest score earns gold.
“His dream is still on. It’s still alive,” Aaron said of his son. “I believe he’ll do it.”
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