What to Know
- John Orozco injured the same knee in 2012 and was making a comeback
- He trained in Chappaqua as a kid
- His parents helped him overcome a cash-strapped childhood and gang violence to pursue his Olympic dreams
John Orozco is out of the Olympics.
The Bronx gymnast tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during training this week and will not compete in Rio de Janeiro next month. The 23-year-old Orozco, a star four years ago when he won the national championship and qualified for the Olympic all-around finals, injured the same knee late in 2012.
Orozco has also twice torn the Achilles tendon in his right leg during his career.
Orozco will be replaced on the five-man squad by 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medalist Danell Leyva.
National team coordinator Kevin Mazeika called Orozco's latest injury "unfortunate and heartbreaking."
The injury is the latest in a series of personal and professional setbacks for Orozco, who also lost his mother Damaris in the spring of 2015.
