Wilson, Gatson impress at gymnastics trials

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Not quite perfect, but far better than average, Blaine Wilson and Jason Gatson returned from injuries Thursday night and made good cases for spots on the U.S. Olympic team.

Wilson and Gatson were the headliners at preliminaries of the Olympic trials. Two of the best gymnasts in the country, they each missed the national championships earlier in the month and the quality of their comebacks will determine who makes the six-man Olympic team. By the looks of things, they’re very much in the running for a trip to Athens.

National champion Paul Hamm almost certainly has a spot, too. He closed with a 9.9 on the high bar to finish in first despite an uneven night in which he fell off the pommel horse and struggled a bit on rings.

Brett McClure was the most consistent gymnast on what seemed like a shaky night for most of the 17 men in the meet. McClure, the silver medalist at nationals, finished with 57.425 points, .175 behind Hamm after one round of trials and also in second behind Hamm when the scores were combined with results from nationals.

The top two scorers after finals Saturday will earn automatic spots to the Olympics. A selection committee will choose the final four men. Committee members are looking for specialists on pommel horse and vault, two events that are typically difficult for the Americans.

And on Thursday, they were looking for signs that Wilson and Gatson would be back to full health when the Olympics start in seven weeks.