Billy Paul (gymnast)

Billy Paul
Born1959 or 1960 (age 66–67)
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S.
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[1]
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country represented
United States United States
(c. 1981–1988)
College team
California Golden Bears
(1979–1982)
Head coach
Hal Frey
Assistant coaches
Retiredc. 1988
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  United States
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Pan American Games 0 1 1
Total 0 1 1
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place1983 CaracasTeam
Bronze medal – third place1983 CaracasHorizontal bar

Billy Paul (born 1959 or 1960[2]) is a retired American artistic gymnast. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and won two medals, a team silver and an individual bronze on the horizontal bar, at the 1983 Pan American Games. He was the 1988 United States men's vault champion.

Early life and education

Paul was born in 1959 or 1960 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[2][3][4] His hometown was Millbrae, California, and he started competing in gymnastics in 1973.[5][6] He attended Mills High School, where he was a decorated gymnast and the northern California state high school champion.[7][8][9] He later enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley.[1][10]

Gymnastics career

While a student at UC Berkeley, Paul was a member of the California Golden Bears men's gymnastics team. He competed for the Golden Bears from 1979 to 1982 and was named the Pac-10 Conference Gymnast of the Year.[11][12][13] He was a finalist for the 1982 Nissen-Emery Award.[14] He was the only American, and of a small number of gymnasts worldwide, to use a triple somersault dismount on the horizontal bar.[15]

While in college, Paul was first named to the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team in 1981.[16] He represented the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games, where he won a silver medal in the team all-around and an individual bronze medal on the horizontal bar.[17]

After Sho Fukushima replaced Hal Frey as the Cal Golden Bears' men's gymnastics head coach, Paul joined Fukushima's staff as an assistant coach in 1984.[18] Later that year at the 1984 United States Olympic trials, Paul placed 11th in the all-around with a score of 74.305, and as a result, he was not named to the Olympic team.[19] The following year, Paul won six medals at the 1985 U.S. National Sports Festival in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, including floor and vault gold medals.[6][20][21] He was later named as an alternate for the United States team at the 1985 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.[22]

Foregoing job offers, Paul continued to attempt to earn a berth on a United States Olympic team.[23] At the 1988 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships, Paul shared the vaulting national championship with the reigning champion, John Sweeney.[2][24] As a result of his performance at the championships, Paul qualified for the 1988 United States Olympic trials, one that likely was to be his last.[25][26] His performance at the trials did not earn a top-7 place and he was not named to the team.[27] He also ended his tenure as an assistant coach at Cal in 1988.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 Harris, Merv (April 12, 1978). "He's daydreaming of Moscow". San Francisco Examiner. Vol. 113, no. 263. p. CC-8. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Karolyi's Kids Steal the U.S. Gymnastics Show". San Francisco Chronicle. Vol. 124, no. 151. July 11, 1988. p. D11. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Who's who in the gymnastics championships". The Florida Times-Union. Vol. 120, no. 157. Jacksonville, Florida. June 6, 1985. p. C-6. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Festival Westlers Feel Ignored". Tulsa World. Vol. 80, no. 320. August 2, 1985. p. 4 Section C. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Stone, Larry (February 9, 1979). "New Game for Cal Gymnasts". San Francisco Chronicle. Vol. 124, no. 151. p. 65. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 Wieberg, Steve (August 5, 1985). "Counting on 10s not over at age 25". USA Today. p. 6C. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Doyle, Kevin (December 7, 1984). "Future stars in debut". Peninsula Times Tribune. Vol. 6, no. 342. p. B-2. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Paul Snares Three Titles". San Mateo Times. Vol. 77, no. 124. May 25, 1977. p. 24. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Axemen All-Around attracts top gymnasts". The Register-Guard. Vol. 110, no. 325. Eugene, Oregon. September 13, 1977. p. 2C. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ California Golden Bears 2026, p. 33.
  11. ↑ California Golden Bears 2026, pp. 38, 58.
  12. ↑ "Top Pac-10 Gymnast named". The Camarillo Daily News. Vol. 115, no. 21. April 22, 1982. p. B3. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ LoVecchio, Dave (March 13, 1980). "Ducks choice in Pac-10 gymnastics". Oakland Tribune. Vol. 107, no. 73. p. D-6. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Nissen-Emery Award". usagym.org. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  15. ↑ "A 'No Name' Gymnast". San Francisco Chronicle. Vol. 118, no. 17. February 5, 1982. p. 63. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Henkel, Cathy (September 7, 1983). "Top women gymnasts injured". The Register-Guard. Vol. 116, no. 319. Eugene, Oregon. pp. 1B, 5B. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Siddons, Larry (August 21, 1983). "Shooters, swimmers lead U.S. assault on Pan Am Games". Anchorage Daily News. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 246. p. C12. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. 1 2 California Golden Bears 2026, p. 56.
  19. ↑ "Gymnastics Olympic trials". Houston Chronicle. Vol. 83, no. 235. June 4, 1984. p. 8, Section 3. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Babcock cops 3 gold medals in gymnastics". Sunday Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. August 4, 1985. p. E-2. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Festival medals". The Bryan-College Station Eagle. Vol. 109, no. 217. August 5, 1985. p. 2B. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Coach Says U.S. Gymnasts Don't Have a Shot at Gold". Sunday World-Herald. Vol. 121, no. 15. Omaha, Nebraska. October 27, 1985. p. 19-C. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Rattie, Jim (March 7, 1988). "Paul shows value of experience in Gymfest". The Sacramento Bee. Vol. 263, no. 526. p. C3. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Highlight finalists are Hayden, Mills". The Sacramento Union. Vol. 138, no. 275. July 11, 1988. p. B3. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Hayden, Mills win titles; Besosa will go to trials". Peninsula Times Tribune. Vol. 10, no. 161. July 10, 1988. p. D-5. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Rave reviews for Houston's latest shindig". Houston Post. Vol. 104, no. 98. July 11, 1988. p. 6B. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Gymnastics Olympic Trials Men's Finals". The Commercial Appeal. Vol. 149, no. 312. Memphis, Tennessee. August 6, 1988. p. D6. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

Sources

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