Paul O'Neill (born May 8, 1965) is an American

gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

most noted for his work on

rings Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

Early life and education

O'Neill was born to Evelyn and John O'Neill, one of the family's four sons. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School for two years and Aurora Central for one. He was State Champion on rings in 1983. He went to

Houston Baptist University Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University, is a private Baptist university in Houston, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Southern Baptist Convention). Its Cultural Arts Center hou ...

from 1985 to 1987 and the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

from 1987 to 1989.

Gymnastics career

O'Neill was a three-time

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

champion on rings, winning in 1987, 1988, and 1989, as well as holding the highest qualifying average record (9.93) in 1987 and 1989. After college, he went on to compete internationally. O'Neill came fourth at the

1992 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships The 27th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Paris, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and t ...

, the highest American male finisher, then became the first American man to win a medal at the world championships in 15 years when he won the silver medal in men's rings at the

1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships The 1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Brisbane, Australia, from 19–24 April 1994. Only the all-around and apparatus events were contested at this meet. A team World Championships meet was held in Dortmund, Germany ...

in Brisbane. was USA Gymnastics male athlete of the year in 1994.

Competitions

*World Championships,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

, Australia - Silver Medalist *World Championships,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, France - 4th (Rings) *D.T.B Pokal, Stuttgart, Germany, 1995 - 3rd (Still Rings) *D.T.B Pokal, Stuttgart, Germany, 1994 - 5th (Still Rings) *Swiss Cup, Zurich, Switzerland, 1995 - 7th (Still Rings) *Swiss Cup, Zurich, Switzerland, 1994 - 8th (Still Rings) *Kosice Cup, Kosice, Slovakia, 1993 - 1st (Still Rings)

The "O'Neill"

The still rings element the O'Neill is named after him; it consists of a stretched double felge backward to hang and was first performed by O'Neill at the 1992 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Paris.

Personal life

O'Neill was married to Kristi Kasprzak O'Neill. He had three children: Geno, Demi and Christian. He owned his own personal training company, and he has also done some acting and modelling. His hobbies include singing in a band. Paul died 01/22/2021.

References

External links

USA Gymnastics Official Biography: Paul O'Neill
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Paul 1965 births Living people American male artistic gymnasts Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Originators of elements in artistic gymnastics Houston Baptist Huskies men's gymnasts New Mexico Lobos men's gymnasts Sportspeople from Denver 20th-century American people 21st-century American people