RIO DE JANEIRO -- The words trail Danell Leyva even now, four eventful years since that warm night in London when -- giddy from his bronze in the all-around at the 2012 Olympics -- the rising American star made a very public pledge.Shortly after the awards ceremony, Leyva leaned over and asked newly minted champion Kohei Uchimura of Japan if he planned to stick around for the 2016 Games. Pressed on why he wanted to know, Leyva flashed a smile and said simply I want to beat him.Leyva will get his chance when the mens competition kicks off on Saturday with qualifying at Rio Olympic Arena, just not in the way he imagined.While Uchimura heads into the preliminary round as the heavy favorite to repeat and further cement his status as the greatest male gymnast in history, Leyva will take on a smaller role for the Americans, competing in just three of the six events: pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar.Its not what Leyva had in mind when he plotted out the quadrennium between London and Rio. Then again, at this point hes simply grateful to be here at all. Leyva was originally named as an alternate before filling in when John Orozcos star-crossed career took a brutal turn after tearing the ACL and meniscus in his left knee last month.Asked if he regrets his exuberance while good-naturedly calling out Uchimura, Leyva shook his head.Why wouldnt you want to say you want to be the best? he said following Olympic Trials in June. Yeah, it hasnt been the perfect quad, but that goal should always be there.A goal that Leyva has flirted with at times over the last four years, if only briefly. He was a close second to Uchimura in the high bar final at the 2015 world championships, putting together an electrifying series of releases on an event that served as a reminder of how good Leyva can be when all the dots are connected.Its getting -- and keeping -- them connected thats long been a problem. Hes seen his spot as the top all-arounder in the U.S. taken by four-time national champion Sam Mikulak, who will do all six events along with team captain and 29-year-old Olympic rookie Chris Brooks. Jake Dalton will compete on five apparatuses and Alex Naddour will salute the judges four times, leaving Leyva -- the most decorated American gymnast in international competition on the team -- as a true event specialist.Leyvas path hasnt been marred by serious injury but smaller ones that seemed to blunt his momentum.Ive always been accustomed to high-intensity training, he said. But there were times I couldnt do the amount of numbers I was used to, and you could obviously tell when I was out there.The future of the mens program in 2012 found himself off the national team for a brief time shortly thereafter before reclaiming his spot in 2014. While the majority of the national team works out together at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado, Leyva has remained in Miami with his mother Maria and his stepfather/coach Yin Alvarez.There was no point in moving out and having more things to deal with, Leyva said. I dont live at the OTC and I dont live in any college where everything is easier. I live at home. We own the gym, so everything is easier.Except when the family dogs start mixing it up. He arrived at American Cup in 2012 with stitches on his face after breaking up a fight. It happened again right before the U.S. championships in June, when gashes on his leg impacted his preparations, one of the reasons he says he looked so lethargic. He was much improved a few weeks later at trials, even if it wasnt quite enough to force the hand of the selection committee.Yet if youre looking for bitterness or anger, look elsewhere. Sure he was disappointed when his name wasnt called, yet he didnt hesitate when national team coordinator Kevin Mazeika called him in the early morning hours asking if hed be OK with being an alternate.I was just like, `Oh, cool, Leyva said. I know how super important those guys can be.And now Leyva finds himself one of them. If he can help the Americans return to the podium following their flameout in London -- when they topped qualifying but faded to fifth in the finals -- dont expect him to make any sort of proclamations pointing to 2020. Hes not about that anymore. For now its about focusing on the moment and trying to enjoy it. Hes become all too aware of how fleeting they can be.Ive tried to think more about the performance, he said. If thats where the focus is, then the results will come.---Follow Will Graves at www.twitter.com/WillGravesAP Wholesale Nike Tanjun Ireland .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Clearance Nike Tanjun Ireland Shop . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. http://www.clearanceniketanjunireland.com/ . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Nike Tanjun Ireland Outlet . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Cheap Nike Tanjun Ireland From China . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. MASON, Ohio -- Angelique Kerber has a chance to become No. 1 at the Western & Southern Open. The mens bracket is wide open, too, providing an opportunity for someone outside the Big Four to claim a Masters title.Its a week for the up-and-comers.Two-time defending champion Serena Williams pulled out of the tournament with an inflamed shoulder, making it possible for Kerber to overtake her in the rankings. She would move up to No. 1 by winning the tournament for the first time.Williams has been in the top spot for 183 consecutive weeks, the second longest such stretch in WTA history.Theres a long way to go, Kerber said Tuesday. Im not thinking about that. Somebody told me about that, but Im trying not to listen.Everyone dreams about being No. 1. It would be amazing. I would give everything to reach that goal.The mens bracket provides an opportunity for second-tier players to move up for a week. Defending champion Roger Federer and top-ranked Novak Djokovic are sidelined by injuries, and Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal are still recovering from hectic weeks at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The four of them have accounted for 54 of the last 58 Masters titles.Theres a chance for somebody else to get a Masters trophy on Sunday.I played 23 hours in seven days, Nadal said Tuesday, referring to his Olympics stay. My body is a little bit tired. Obviously its going to be tough.Rain repeatedly interrupted the first full day of matches on Tuesday, although none of the top-ranked plaayers was in action.ddddddddddddKerber opens play on Wednesday, trying to extend a successful season that includes the Australian Open championship, a Wimbledon final and a silver medal in Rio.That was a special week, Kerber said of the Olympics. I had a lot of experiences. The atmosphere was different than a normal tournament. I had a great week. I won a medal. That was my goal.Nadal had a lot of fun in Rio but came away running on fumes.The 30-year-old Spaniard missed two months with an injured left wrist and returned in Rio, where he reached the semifinals in singles -- a good showing given how much time he was away from the court. Hes hoping to get in more matches in Cincinnati to get ready for the U.S. Open without aggravating the wrist.It was not an easy injury and it still bothers me a little bit, Nadal said.Murray beat Juan Martin del Potro in a wild, four-set match for his second Olympic gold medal on Sunday, leaving him drained. Then came the flight directly to Cincinnati -- yes, he brought his medal along.The match against Juan Martin was so up and down, so emotional, physical, Murray said. It was a really, really hard match, one of the hardest matches Ive played.Doing the long trip straight afterward was tough. Hopefully it will be able to rain in the next few days.---AP freelance writer Mark Schmetzer contributed to this report. 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