US Olympic Gymnastics Trials: 5 Team USA Hopefuls Who Will Excel This Weekend

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials from San Jose, California, are nearly halfway over, as the final day of men's competition is set to commence on Saturday from the HP Pavilion. 

Danell Leyva leads all male athletes heading into Saturday's competition. Leyva, a gold-medal winner on the parallel bars at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo, is the leading scorer on the men's high bar and parallel bars after one day of action.

The top two all-around finishers on Saturday will clinch a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team headed to London this summer, so right now Leyva looks to be in good shape heading into the final day.

On the women's side, there is an emerging talent named Jordyn Wieber who looks primed to steal the show for the American ladies in London this summer, as well as two familiar faces in Nastia Liukin and Alicia Sacramone. 

Without further ado, here are five U.S. Olympic gymnastic team hopefuls who will excel this weekend at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials.

John Orozco

Nineteen-year-old American gymnast John Orozco is in second place behind Danell Leyva (276.500) in terms of cumulative total heading into Saturday's competition. Orozco has a score of 275.550 and currently sits in third place in three events, including men's rings.

Orozco is poised for a strong weekend in San Jose, as just this year he captured gold at the 2012 Visa Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, defeating Leyva in the all-around competition. 

Orozco took silver on the horizontal bars in St. Louis, and three bronzes in the pommel, rings and parallel bars. Orozco is somewhat of a prodigy and has a handful of U.S. junior national championships to his name. 

As one of the top American gymnasts out there, Orozco is essentially a lock to do well this weekend and go from Team USA hopeful to Olympic competitor. 

Jonathan Horton

Team USA hopeful Jonathan Horton (271.350), who sits fourth in cumulative score after the first day of trials, has already competed against the world's best at the Olympics. So Saturday's final day of competition in San Jose should be a breeze for the 26-year-old gymnast.

Horton won silver in the horizontal bars in Beijing four summers ago and boasts an impressive resume that includes a number of gold medals. Horton won gold in the all-around competition at the 2011 World Cup in Jacksonville and the all-around competition at the 2010 U.S. National Championship in Hartford.

Horton was named the 2008 USA Gymnastics Men's Athlete of the Year in response to his dominant efforts on some of the sport's biggest stages.

Jordyn Wieber

Perhaps the favorite in the all-around competition on the women's side this weekend in San Jose is 16-year-old Jordyn Wieber, who won gold in the all-around at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo.

Wieber has been in top form in 2012 as well, winning all-around gold at the 2012 Visa Championships in St. Louis, Missouri. Wieber is a safe pick to represent the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team this summer in London, and that means she will excel this weekend.

Wieber's list of career achievements is a long one, and she is without question one of the United States' best shots at winning gold in the all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Games. 

Nastia Liukin

Unlike Jordyn Wieber, Nastia Liukin has invaluable Olympic experience, having competed for Team USA already at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in China four years ago.

Liukin won gold in the all-around competition in Beijing, topping American silver medalist Shawn Johnson in the process. Liukin will be considered a dark horse by many to challenge for a repeat in this summer's event. 

The 22-year-old is sure to excel on the national stage this weekend in San Jose, however, as she will be motivated to add her name to the short list of legendary Olympic gymnasts.

Alicia Sacramone

One of the oldest competitors at this summer's U.S. Olympic Trials in San Jose, Alicia Sacramone is a seasoned gymnast with plenty to still left to prove. 

Sacramone helped Team USA to the silver medal in the team competition at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics but finished fourth in the vault, missing out on the podium and a medal. The 24-year-old Sacramone has since won gold in the vault at the 2010 U.S. National and World Championships, as well as the 2012 U.S. National Championships.

Considering that Sacramone specializes in the vault competition, and the fact that she is still bitter about coming up short in Beijing four years ago, expect big things from the Boston native this weekend in California.