Newport Coast Resident Sam Mikulak Punches Ticket for 2012 Olympic Games

The 19-year-old is part of the 5-man team that will represent the U.S. in London.

By Steven Covelman

| Sunday, Jul 1, 2012 | Updated 6:52 PM PDT

Getty Images

SAN JOSE, CA - JUNE 28: Sam Mikulak competes on the rings during day 1 of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials at HP Pavilion on June 28, 2012 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Photos and Videos

LOOK

PHOTOS
Athletes to
Watch: London 2012

LOOK

PHOTOS
Track Star
Allyson Felix Chases Gold

More Photos and Videos

Newport Coast native Sam Mikulaks' dream came true on Sunday.

He can now add Olympian to his resume.

Mikulak, 19, was named Sunday to the five-man U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team.

"It's just ridiculous. I was the last person announced," Mikulak said in a statement. "I can’t believe that this is happening right now...

"I’ve been dreaming about this moment for so long ..."

Full NBC London 2012 Coverage

It's the latest in a list of accomplishments that includes NCAA all-around gymnastics champion and 2012 U.S. parallel bars silver medalist.

Mikulak quickly took his excitement to his Facebook fan page.

"YESS! Today I became an Olympian. I couldn’t have done it without everyone helping me…”

The news was welcome relief after Mikulak suffered a sprained ankle Thursday while competing in the first day of Olympics trials for gynmastics. The injury relegated him to competing in only one event, the pommel horse. A selection committee selected him to the Olympic team by using his score for the all-around competition in the trials and his third-place finish at the Visa Championships in St. Louis.

Until he sprained his ankle, Mikulak scored a 91.8 at the trials Thursday night, the top all-around score of the competition.

With the games weeks away, Mikulak will undergo rehabilitation on his ankle.

A student at the University of Michigan and a graduate of Corona Del Mar High School, Mikulak will team up with fellow gymnasts Danell Leyva, John Orozco, Jonathan Horton and Jake Dalton on the Olympic squad.

Chris Brooks, Steven Legendre and Alex Naddour have been named alternates.

"It’s an amazing team,” Olympic coach Kevin Mazeika said in a statement. “We knew all along it was going to be difficult to select the team because of our depth. It wasn’t easy but I think we have selected a team that is going to go to London and vie for a gold medal."