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London next stop on journey for Cuban-born gymnast

May 8, 2012 RSS Feed Print

As Leyva's feet hit the mat with a resounding thud, Alvarez races toward him, clapping his hands and yelling, "That's my boy!"

"I've always had a huge amount of support, especially by my parents. They're my coaches and they taught me everything," Leyva said. "I just can't wait to fulfill their work. Because I'm just a product of their work."

To say nothing of their courage and dreams.

Leyva hasn't been back to Cuba since he left as a baby, but he hopes to someday.

"I'm very proud of being born in Cuba," he said. "But I'm always going to be proud to be an American."

___

Follow Nancy Armour at www.twitter.com/nrarmour

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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