At age 8, gymnast Angel León has the sport running in his blood.
His father, José León, 36, was a U.S. Junior National Championship qualifier as a teen and trained under Yoichi Tomita, owner of Gymnastics World — a training facility with three Tucson locations for gymnasts, both recreational and budding Olympians.
Angel's grandfather Daniel León, 61, also competed when he was a student at Tucson High School.
Now it is Angel who is stretching, flipping and laughing.
He is enjoying the sport with his teammates who cheer him on at Gymnastics World's East Fort Lowell Road site four days a week, and during meets.
Last month, Angel was one of 10 gymnasts from Gymnastics World selected as an all-star after competing in the Arizona Boys Gymnastics State Championships in Ahwatukee.
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Angel was the only Pima County gymnast to make the regional team in his age group. He placed second in high bar, third in parallel bars and still rings, and fourth in floor exercise, Tomita said.
On Sunday, he and the others will compete in the USAG regional championships in Reno, Nev.
The second grader at Robison Elementary School, 2745 E. 18th St., began competing in December and he has earned dozens of medals.
"Angel is the youngest competitive team member at this gym, and his father was a member of my first competitive team back in 1981," Tomita said. "It has been a lot of fun watching father and son — having a second generation of athletes in this gym."
"We have had about 10 Olympic hopefuls come from this gym, and hopefully Angel will be another one. Angel is one of the brightest spots in this gym right now. He is strong. We have a lot of time to develop him to be a good gymnast," Tomita said.
Tomita should know. He was an assistant coach for the United States at the 1988 and 2000 Olympic Games. His son, Yewki, 27, is a U.S. national team member who is trying to make the Olympic team and compete this year at the Beijing Games.
About 1,000 young gymnasts are enrolled in Tomita's gyms, and about 100 compete in meets.
"In gymnastics training, you fall down and you make a lot of mistakes before you achieve or learn a skill. That is a great life lesson," Tomita said.
Angel's mother, Cindy León, recalled glimpsing talent in her son when the family bought a trampoline several years ago.
"He spent hours in the back yard jumping," she said.
"I learned to do back flips," said Angel, a huge smile forming.
The couple enrolled him at Tomita's gym at age 5, and Angel loves it.
José, a heavy-equipment operator who was laid off recently because of a slumping construction industry, built equipment for his son to train on. He helps Angel train at the gym on Saturdays. At home, Angel and José do push-ups and sit-ups together.
"I enjoy it because it brings back memories when my dad used to teach me," said José, a father of five. "I always loved the sport, so when I am around it and teaching, it makes me happy. Angel and I have a strong bond."
José and one of Angel's coaches, Cory Morin, see the boy's strength in the high bar and rings.
"The pommel horse is his biggest challenge. He needs to get a bigger swing on this event. He is small but he has definitely improved," Morin said.
For Angel, the training is pure fun. Competition is another thing.
"I get nervous when I compete, but I just think about what I have to do. I love it when my dad comes," said the boy who one day may represent the United States at the Olympic Games.
