there. He also plans to stay through the 2012 Olympic trials.
“[Vitaly] is very good at tailoring himself to individual athletes,”
he says.
It’s been a great fit for Elkind, who has made the most of his
out-of-gym time. He just completed a master’s degree in
accounting at Denver University, despite the one-hour commute
a few times a week. “When I moved out here, the USOC was
incredibly helpful in getting me grants, scholarships, all that
stuff,” Elkind says. “It was kind of like a no-brainer to take advantage of it.” On Thursdays, a light workout day, Elkind interns at
the USOC finance-accounting department.
“We’re definitely looking for people who not only want to
excel in gymnastics, but in life, as well,” Elkind says of the ideal
OTC candidate. “Because that type of passion to continually
improve, if it’s everywhere in your life, it’s certainly going to be
there in the gym.”
Says Marinitch: “They are encouraged to study and do extra
curriculum outside of gymnastics. There are lots of opportunities
for scholarships for these guys.”
THE FACILITY
The Olympic Complex sits on land that was once the Ent Air
Force Base and the headquarters of the North American
Defense Command. It became the USOC administrative headquarters in 1978, and now accommodates 12 USOC member
organizations.
The OTC includes 10 Olympic sports (boxing, fencing, gymnastics, pentathlon, roller sports, shooting, track & field,
triathlon and weightlifting) and four Paralympic sports (cycling,
judo, shooting and swimming). It can house 557 coaches and
athletes.
“ I think education is important, so if a person chooses to do NCAA, it’s fine with me. And they can always come back [to the OTC] after that. Many people do.”
—Vitaly Marinitch
The smaller gym has
in-ground pits and an
in-ground trampoline.
