LONDON — His arms went numb midway through the routine, and then the pommel horse, a specialty, became John Orozco’s undoing Wednesday once again, just as it had on Monday.“I felt really tired during the routine,” the Bronx gymnast said, after finishing eighth in the men’s all-around. “I couldn’t feel my arms, everything was tightening up. I was praying to get off, and get some kind of dismount.”
He got off finally, clumsily. Orozco was nailed with a 12.566, yet another death sentence in yet another event. After a short cry and some consolation, he actually relaxed and became the athlete everyone recognized and remembered.
“I knew at the end I couldn’t make the podium even if I was perfect on all the other routines,” he said. He wasn’t perfect, yet he was much better. Orozco scored solidly enough in four more rotations, including a genuinely impressive vault, moving up 16 places from the very bottom.
After disappointing finishes in the team and all-around events, Orozco’s once-promising Olympics were done — though, at age 19, there should be plenty more to come.