5 Tickets to Paris! Frederick Richard, Brody Malone Lead Team USA to Paris

Richard, Malone, Hong, Juda, Nedoroscik. Remember the names.

In what proved to be a fight to the finish and a somewhat unpredictable selection that left all of us crunching numbers and making multiple predictions, on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis, 5 Tickets to Paris were confirmed to represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Selected to the team were 2023 World All-Around and team bronze medalist Frederick Richard, who clinched the automatic berth winning the All-Around (170.500) and securing the top spots on high bar (29.850), second on parallel bars (29.850) and third on floor exercise (28.700), three-time U.S. All-Around Champion and 2022 World High Bar gold medalist Brody Malone, 2023 World team bronze medalists Asher Hong and Paul Juda, and 2021 pommel horse world champion Stephen Nedoroscik. It will be Malone’s second Olympic Games.

2023 World team bronze medalist and two-time silver medalist Khoi Young and Tokyo Olympian Shane Wiskus were named traveling replacement athletes.

Competition concludes tomorrow with the women’s team announcement!

Inside Gymnastics is on the scene in Minneapolis bringing you all the action! Make sure you’re following our social media pages (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Threads) for news and highlights throughout the week.

For the full Schedule, click here!

TV Broadcasts

By Christy Sandmaier, with Megan Roth contributing

Let’s Gooooo!  It’s about to get real as the men take the floor at the 2024 Olympic Trials. On the line: 5 Tickets to Paris. A lifetime of memories. In Minneapolis, an epic battle for the top spots will play out live as the insurmountable pressure rises and excitement builds. It’s real and it’s here. 

In Fort Worth, 2020 Olympian and 2022 World high bar gold medalist Brody Malone dominated the field with an incredible comeback effort — something thought insurmountable months ago. The now three-time National All-Around Champion took home the gold on high bar in Liverpool in 2022, solidifying his status as one of the best ever in the U.S., and looked right on track to sail through 2023 and into 2024 on his way to his second Games. However, an injury sustained on his high bar dismount in event finals at the 2023 DTB Pokal Team Challenge left Malone facing three surgeries, countless hours of grueling rehabilitation, and in a race against time. 

Throughout the process, he had his eyes on the climb to return to the Olympic stage in Paris. Sometimes down, but never deterred, he’s guided by his strong faith and an incredible support system.

“God got me through it,” Malone told us of the process. “And then on top of that, just my friends and family. My fiancée came out and basically took care of me when I was stuck in the bed. Just having those people close to that just helped me get through it.” For more, see Mighty Malone!

The emotion when he took the floor at Winter Cup earlier this year was palpable, and in Fort Worth, he captured the headlines by not only winning the title, but performing almost as if the injury had never happened. What seemed the most improbable of comebacks, was now front page news. For Malone, it was business as usual.

“With everything I’ve gone through, to be able to come back, make a comeback like I have and be competitive enough to be on the top again, it feels amazing,” Malone said. “This is what I’ve been training for.”

Yul Moldauer, a 2020 Olympic veteran competing along side of Malone for years, was cheering on his friend. “I knew that he was going to do All-Around, and I was so excited. I made sure I watched every single routine that I could. I cheered for him because he’s been working his butt off to be back, and it’s awesome. We’ll celebrate.”

Frederick Richard, in his first Olympic cycle, reflected on Malone’s epic comeback. “I mean, it just shows Brody is a dog, number one. So much respect for him. So much respect to just come back and dominate. He’s definitely going to push me in the gym.”

With Malone all but a lock, there are four spots remaining on the team, and five men who made history in Antwerp at the 2023 World Championships going after them. Asher Hong (10th at U.S. Championships), Paul Juda (6th), Moldauer (tied for 4th), Richard (2nd) and Khoi Young (3rd) took bronze as a team, the first team medal at an Olympics or World Championships for the men since 2014, ending their longest podium absence from 1984 to 2001. They improved from fifth-place finishes at the 2016 Rio Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2022 Worlds in Liverpool, and sent a strong message to the rest of the world. Not only did they bring home bronze, but they did it with confidence, style, difficulty, and both a passion and determination as a team that we’ve not seen in some time. They believed in themselves from start to finish — and it showed. (Scroll to the end for more!)

All five men will be looking to continue to make their case and build (or regain) momentum in Minneapolis. Hong, the 2023 U.S. All-Around Champion, had a rough go in Fort Worth, and will need a huge effort at Trials. But he’s a gamer. And if anyone can shoot right back to the top, it’s Hong. He’s clearly got the difficulty to not only contribute in a big way towards a team medal, but he can bring home individual hardware as well. Raising his execution scores in Minneapolis will also be key to see where he factors into the team.

So, who else factors in?

Following Fort Worth, we very much have our eyes on 2020 Olympian Shane Wiskus, who tied for 4th in the All-Around. Wiskus has been on a steady climb upwards in 2024 overcoming injuries and inconsistencies, and may be peaking at the exact right time to earn a ticket to his second Games.

Also still on our radar are 2020 Olympic alternate Cameron Bock who placed 8th in Fort Worth, parallel bars master Curran Phillips (though he remains somewhat of a question mark following an injury sustained in warmups on day 2 in Fort Worth left him sidelined), pommel horse specialist Patrick Hoopes, 2021 World Pommel Horse Champion Stephen Nedoroscik, five-time World team member and 2016 Olympic alternate Donnell Whittenburg — who placed second at the 2022 U.S. Championships in Tampa and seventh in Fort Worth — and Colt Walker, a member of the 2022 World team.

For the complete results from the 2024 U.S. Championships, Click Here!

None can be counted out, and the playing field is one of the most competitive and dynamic the U.S. men have ever seen. They have a legit shot for a team medal in Paris and the competition in Minneapolis promises to be off the charts — skills, difficulty, energy, emotion — so fasten your seatbelts, because there has never been a better time to be a men’s gymnastics fan than now.

Here, we break down our “Must Watch” contender list as we take a closer look at the men competing at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Who will be the team to walk onto the floor under the Olympic lights in Bercy Arena? On Saturday night in Minneapolis, we’ll know.

For the full list of competitors, Click Here!

For the U.S. Men’s Selection Procedures: Click Here!

For the 2024 Olympic Draw, Click Here!

SENIOR MEN

BRODY MALONE

(EVO GYMNASTICS)

Vitals: DOB: January 7, 2000 Hometown: Aragon, Georgia 

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 1st AA & HB; 2nd SR
• 2024 Winter Cup: 3rd PB 
• 2022 World Championships: 1st HB; AA Finalist 
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 1st AA, FX & HB; 2nd PH
• 2022 NCAA Championships: 1st Team, PH & HB; 2nd AA; 3rd FX
• 2021 World Championships: 3rd HB
• 2021 U.S. Championships: 1st AA & V; 2nd SR & HB
• 2020 Olympic AA & HB Finalist 

The Storyline: 

The Comeback. In November of 2022, Brody Malone was on top of his game and on top of the World on high bar, capturing gold and becoming the first American high bar World Champion in 43 years, holding off defending Olympic All-Around and high bar champion Hashimoto Daiki (JPN). Then in March of 2023, Malone, the two-time U.S. National All-Around Champion (2021 and 2022,) suffered a devastating tibial plateau fracture, a partially torn PCL and a fully torn LCL on a high bar dismount fall in finals at the DTB Pokal Cup. He missed the remainder of 2023, working back through surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation. At the 2024 Winter Cup in Louisville, he was back. Competing on pommel horse, rings and parallel bars, Malone made his competitive return, much to the admiration and support of everyone in the arena — and especially his own EVO teammates. Defining pure strength and power, Malone really had no weak event in the past. In Fort Worth, what remained to be seen was whether we’d see him compete in the All-Around or focus on individual events. Putting all of the question marks to rest, Malone won the competition and is ready to lead Team USA to Paris — a headline he’s been waiting to see since stepping off the floor in Tokyo three years ago.

FREDERICK RICHARD

(UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN)

Vitals: DOB: April 23, 2004 Hometown: Stoughton, MA

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 1st FX; 2nd AA & HB
• 2024 NCAA Championships: 2nd Team, AA & SR
• 2023 World Championships: 3rd Team, AA; FX Finalist
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 1st HBr; 3rd AA
• 2023 NCAA Championships: 1st AA, PB, HB; 2nd Team & FX
• 2023 Winter Cup: 2nd AA
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 2nd HB; 3rd FX 

The Storyline: 

Frederick Richard. Remember the name. 2023 was stellar for Richard as he went prime time winning bronze (Team and All-Around) at his first World Championships, becoming both a star and leader for Team USA along the way. Now, he’s a seasoned pro and after Olympic gold. He’s been hot on the media circuit lately, promoting the sport he loves in the leadup to Paris, and with his captivating personality and literal flair(s) on the competition floor, Richard is one to watch at Trials and well beyond. Although he has no real weak event, high bar, parallel bars and floor are where he shines. Placing second in Fort Worth, he’s positioned himself perfectly in the leadup to Olympic Trials and ready to take on the Olympic Games.

YUL MOLDAUER

(5280 GYMNASTICS) 

Vitals: DOB: August 26, 1996 Hometown: Arvada, CO 

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 1st PB; 2nd FX; 4th AA
• 2024 Pacific Rim Championships: 1st Team, AA, FX, SR(T) & PB; 5th HB
• 2024 DTB Pokal Team Challenge: 1st Team; 4th PH
• 2024 Winter Cup: 1st AA & FX; 2nd PB
• 2023 World Championships: 3rd Team; PB Finalist
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 1st PB; 3rd PH
• 2023 Pan American Championships: 1st Team, AA, FX & PB; 2nd HB; 3rd PH
• 2023 Winter Cup: 1st AA
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 3rd PH
• 2021 U.S. Championships: 1st PB; 2nd AA; 3rd FX & SR
• 2020 Olympic Team Member 
• 2017 World Championships: 3rd FX

The Storyline:  

Let’s Gooooo! – trademark it for Moldauer. After missing out on a spot on the Worlds team in 2022, Moldauer has been the absolute picture of focus, fire, determination, and ready to fight ever since! With his dream of a team medal at Worlds finally fulfilled, Moldauer has been on roll – winning the All-Around at Winter Cup and Pacific Rims and leading the team to the top of the podium at both Pac Rims and the DTB Pokal Team Challenge. With a focus on consistently building up his start values, Moldauer has never looked more ready to lead Team USA into an Olympic Games and bring back some hardware. A team medal would mean everything to Moldauer, who has been on the senior men’s scene contending for titles for the U.S. since 2015. No one is a greater ambassador for the sport  and no one loves competing under the international lights and representing his country more than Moldauer. He’s Team USA’s heart and soul through and through. In Fort Worth, Moldauer overcame a rocky day 1 to finish 4th in  the All-Around. He’s ready to channel his 2023 and early 2024 momentum in Minneapolis, where he’ll be looking to put on a show and earn a spot on his second U.S. Olympic team.

ASHER HONG

(STANFORD UNIVERSITY) 

Vitals: DOB: March 23, 2004 Hometown: Tomball, TX

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 3rd SR; 4th PB; 10th AA
• 2024 NCAA Championships: 1st Team, SR, V & PB
• 2023 World Championships: 3rd Team;  AA & PB Finalist
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 1st AA; 2nd SR
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 1st AA, SR & V; 2nd FX
• 2023 NCAA Championships: 1st Team & V; 3rd AA
• 2023 Winter Cup: 3rd AA
• 2022 World Championships Team Member 
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 1st V; 2nd FX; 3rd AA & SR 

The Storyline:  

2023 was a big year for Asher Hong. As the 2023 U.S. National All-Around Champion and a World Team bronze medalist, Hong wants to prove he’s ready for his first Olympic team. Everyone knows that it’s much harder to defend a title than chase after it, and Hong, who closed his 2024 NCAA season with (count them!) four national titles, was looking to claim the top spot one again in Fort Worth. Unfortunately, falls on pommel horse and high bar landed him in 10th. With some of the top difficulty in the U.S., Hong absolutely has the ability to not only climb into the top five and onto the podium in Minneapolis, but to medal in Paris. He’ll need to be on his absolute best game to be back in contention and our instincts tell us after day 1 at Olympic Trials, he’ll do just that. He said he loves to create the NCAA atmosphere on the competition floor everywhere he goes and with his outrageous skills and emerging leadership, Hong’s performances will be key toward the U.S. team’s effort in Paris.

For our feature on Asher Hong, Click Here!

KHOI YOUNG

(STANFORD UNIVERSITY) 

Vitals: DOB: December 31, 2002 Hometown: Bowie, MD

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 2nd PB; 3rd AA; 4th HB; 6th FX; 8th PH
• 2024 NCAA Championships: 1st Team & AA; 2nd PH & PB; 3rd V 
• 2023 World Championships: 2nd PH, VT; 3rd Team
• 2023 Pan American Championships: 1st Team & PH
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 2nd AA & PH 
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 2nd AA, PH & V; 3rd FX
• 2023 Pan American Championships: 1st Team & PH
• 2023 NCAA Championships: 1st Team 
• 2022 U.S. Classic: 2nd AA
• 2022 DTB Pokal Cup: 1st Team, PH & V
• 2022 NCAA Championships: 1st Team; 2nd V
• 2022 Winter Cup: 1st PH; 2nd AA & V

The Storyline: 

The Rising Star. In one of 2023’s greatest storylines for the men, Stanford’s Khoi Young emerged as a star for Team USA in his World Championships debut. He was the most decorated athlete on the men’s team, winning one bronze (team) and two silver medals (pommel horse and vault), making him the first American man to win three medals at a single World Championship. He is also the first American man since 1979 to win multiple individual apparatus medals at a single World Championship! At the 2023 U.S. Championships in San Jose, Young took silver in the All-Around right behind his Cardinal teammate Asher Hong. In Fort Worth, he was 3rd. Young is state-of-the-art on pommel horse, showing great extension and amplitude on his circles, and he vaults a front handspring 2.5 twist with ease — his vaults in event finals at Worlds were absolutely off the charts. Coming off yet another stellar season at Stanford, where he took the All-Around title and led his team to their fifth consecutive NCAA Championship, Young is sure to be on fire in Minneapolis as he goes after a spot on his first Olympic team. 

PAUL JUDA

(UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN) 

Vitals: DOB: July 7, 2001 Hometown: Deerfield, IL 

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 5th FX; 6th AA, PH
• 2024 NCAA Championships: 1st FX; 2nd-Team & VT; 4th AA; 6th SR(T)
• 2023 World Championships: 3rd Team; 5th VT, HB
• 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships: 1st FX; 6th AA & HB; 7th PH
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 3rd AA, V & HB
• 2022 NCAA Championships: 1st AA & V; 2nd HB; 3rd Team
• 2021 Pan American Championships: 2nd AA & Team 
• 2021 NCAA Championships: 2nd PH; 3rd Team 
• 2020 Winter Cup: 3rd HB 

The Storyline:  

Gratitude. In the Mixed Zone following Team USA’s bronze medal finish in Antwerp, no one was more emotional and grateful for the opportunity to compete and stand beside his teammates than Paul Juda. No one treasured the moment more. It was a long road back from injury for Juda and with a podium finish, everything came full circle. When he edged out Brody Malone for the NCAA title in 2022, many people were anticipating a rematch at the U.S. Championships in Tampa. However, Juda was sidelined after hyperextending his knee in warm-ups at the U.S. Classic a few weeks prior, and then an ankle injury kept him out of competition during his senior season at Michigan in 2023. He bounced back spectacularly later in the year, winning floor and finishing sixth in the All-Around at the 2023 U.S. Championships in San Jose, and he ultimately went on to make his first World Championships team. In Fort Worth, everyone was looking to see how Juda stacked up against the strong All-Around field.  Perhaps extra aware of the pressure of the moment, Juda also struggled on day 1 at Championships but rallied on day 2 to finish sixth. Injuries have unfortunately played a role throughout his career, but a healthy Juda has the potential to make event finals on vault and high bar in Paris and be a major player — can he make his first Olympic team and bring home a medal for Team USA?

Check out our interview with Frederick Richard and Paul Juda from the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp here!

CURRAN PHILLIPS

(EVO GYMNASTICS)

Vitals: DOB: July 8, 2000 Hometown: Naperville, IL 

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 DTB Pokal Team Challenge: 1st Team & PB
• 2024 Winter Cup: 1st PB & HB
• 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships: 2nd PB; 7th HB
• 2023 Pan American Games: 1st Team & PB
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 1st PB
• 2023 Pan American Championships: 1st Team & HB
• 2023 Winter Cup: 1st PB & HB
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 1st PB
• 2022 NCAA Championships: 1st Team & PB
• 2022 Winter Cup: 1st PB; 2nd HB

The Storyline: 

At the 2024 Winter Cup, Curran Phillips turned in one of the top highlights on the men’s side with his stellar performance. His vault-parallel bar-high bar trio was absolutely world-class, and he could deliver BIG for Team USA on all three of those events in an Olympic Team Final. Not to mention there’s the possibility of bringing home some individual hardware! Broadcast commentator John Roethlisberger noted that he didn’t understand how judges could find eight-tenths of deductions in Phillips’ parallel bars set, and we absolutely agree — it was stellar. Phillips has been on a steady path with impressive performances on the U.S. scene and internationally, but this felt different— a breakout moment that demonstrated just how valuable he could be in the efforts to bring back some Olympic hardware from Paris! However, in Fort Worth, Phillips was injured (wrist) on vault during warmups and was sidelined on day 2, leaving his status in Minneapolis somewhat of a question mark heading into the competition. If he’s at full strength, watch out.

SHANE WISKUS

(EVO GYMNASTICS) 

Vitals: DOB: October 1, 1998 Hometown: Spring Park, MN

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 4th FX; 5th AA; 6th PB; 7th HB
• 2024 DTB Pokal Team Challenge: 1st Team; 5th HB
• 2024 Winter Cup: 2nd AA & FX; 3rd HB
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 4th FX; 8th AA
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 1st High Bar; 3rd PB
• 2023 Winter Cup: 2nd FX & SR; 3rd PB
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 3rd HB
• 2021 NCAA Championships: 1st SR & PB; 2nd AA, FX & HB
• 2020 Olympic Team Member 

The Storyline:  

Back For More! 2020 Olympian Shane Wiskus has something to prove in 2024, after being left off the Worlds team in 2022 and 2023. To kick off his season, Wiskus had a great showing earlier this year at the 2024 Winter Cup in Louisville, as well as at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge, and on day 2 in Fort Worth was solid throughout with a tremendous effort. Olympic year pressure is unlike no other, but Wiskus is undoubtedly hungry for his second trip to the Games. Wiskus has been sidelined periodically this quad with injuries, but showed he’s back in top form physically and looked completely in the zone mentally in Louisville — prompting some on social media to label his efforts “the Shane Wiskus comeback tour”. A strong showing at Championships paired with an even better effort at Trials could be just the extra fuel he needs to peak and book his ticket for Paris.

DONNELL WHITTENBURG

(SALTO GYMNASTICS CENTER) 

Vitals: DOB: August 18, 1994 Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Career Highlights: 

• 5-time World Team Member
• 2024 U.S. Championships: 1st VT; 4th SR; 7th AA, FX; 8th PB
• 2024 Winter Cup: 2nd SR; 4th FX; 5th AA; 6th PB
• 2023 Pan American Games: 1st Team & SR; 3rd AA; 6th FX
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 1st SR; 3rd FX; 7th AA
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 2nd SR 
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 1st SR; 2nd AA & V
• 2015 World Championships: 3rd V
• 2014 World Championships: 3rd Team 

The Storyline:  

Don’t ever count out Donnell! An absolute powerhouse on vault and the master of sheer strength on rings, Whittenburg is not only a medal contender on those two events, but in the All-Around as well! He proved that with his All-Around silver in 2022 and is always a factor in every competition he enters. After missing a spot on the 2023 World Championships team, Whittenburg, who was an alternate for Rio in 2016 and missed out on Tokyo in 2021, will be hungrier and more determined than ever to make a statement in Minneapolis as he chases his elusive Olympic dream — perhaps his final shot. “I wanna obviously make the Olympic Games,” Whittenburg told Olympics.com in an interview in 2023. “That’s still something I haven’t crossed off the checklist. “But also, there was something that my mom told me,” he continued, “She was like, ‘As long as you’re healthy and you can still do it, you might as well keep going as long as you can.’ I kind of really took that to heart.” He’ll need to go BIG, be consistent, and capture the fire that led him to second place at U.S. Championships in Tampa in 2022 to have a shot. And if anyone can do it, it’s Donnell.

PATRICK HOOPES

(AIR FORCE) 

Vitals: DOB: May 15, 2002 Hometown: Lehi, UT

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 2nd PH
• 2024 NCAA Championships: 1st PH
• 2024 USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate National Championships:  1st Team & PH
• 2024 Baku World Cup: 6th PH
• 2024 Winter Cup: 1st PH
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 4th PH
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 3rd PH

The Storyline:  

The Horse Guy. Patrick Hoopes will be the first to tell you he’s a specialist. “I’m a horse guy,” the Air Force Cadet says without hesitation. “I also do parallel bars, but I’m like the backup to the backup on that event. I’ve learned in college to have a very, let’s say realistic, view of my talents, and the more I trained on horse, the better I became.” Better is a bit of an understatement. Hoopes’ horse set boasts a massive 6.5 D (difficulty) value — one tenth higher than reigning World Champ Rhys McClenaghan’s gold medal set— earning him an invite to the Winter Cup where he took first on the event. Hoopes, the Academy record holder on the event, also led the NCAA Championships field from wire to wire, scoring 15.266 on day one to pace the field before going on to win the event with a 15.300 in the finals competition. Hoopes concludes his 2024 campaign boasting the Academy record (15.400), and four 15.000+ marks, and no showings less than 14.200. If Team USA is looking for a specialist on PH to add to its roster, Hoopes is one hundred percent key to the conversation.

Check out our interview with Patrick! Click here!

STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK 

(EVO GYMNASTICS) 

Vitals: DOB: October 28, 1998 Hometown: Worcester, MA

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 1st PH
• 2024 Winter Cup: 2nd PH
• 2024 Baku World Cup: 1st PH(T)
• 2023 Pan American Games: 1st Team; 5th PH
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 1st PH
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 1st PH
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 1st PH
• 2021 World Championships: 1st PH
• 2021 U.S. Championships: 1st PH
• 2018 NCAA Championships: 1st PH
• 2017 NCAA Championships: 1st PH

The Storyline:  

The Specialist. When 2021 World Champion Stephen Nedoroscik hits all of his difficulty on pommel horse, he can put up one of the top scores in the World. After missing out on the 2023 World team, Nedoroscik took the pommel horse title in Baku earlier this year, where he tied for first with Taiwan’s Lee Chih-Kai, both earning a score of 15.400. In 2022, Nedoroscik told us he was training a 7.0 D-score which would easily be the most difficult routine being done in the world. In 2021, Nedoroscik and Alec Yoder battled it out for the specialist spot on the Olympic team, with Yoder ultimately getting the call to go to Tokyo. While Nedoroscik rebounded spectacularly to win the world title in Kitakyushu shortly after the Games, the shift of focus to All-Around athletes or those who can consistently contribute on multiple events in this quad could mean a tough road to Paris for a specialist. Still, Nedoroscik (also known for his goggles and his Rubix Cube) could put up a huge score for Team USA and has proved he can bring home individual hardware at any given turn. In Fort Worth, he defended his U.S. pommel horse title once again, lighting up the crowd as he always does with his genuine love for gymnastics and competition.

COLT WALKER

(STANFORD UNIVERSITY) 

Vitals: DOB: June 25, 2001 Hometown: Cedar Park, TX

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 3rd PB; 9th AA
• 2024 Nissen-Emery Award winner
• 2024 NCAA Championships: 1st Team; 6th PB
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 4th AA, PB; 6th PH & SR
• 2023 Pan American Games: 1st Team; 2nd PB; 4th SR; 5th HB
• 2023 World Championships: 3rd Team (alt.)
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 6th PH; 7th SR; 8th AA
• 2023 NCAA Championships: 1st Team
• 2022 World Championships Team Member 
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 2nd PB; 3rd V
• 2022 NCAA Championships: 1st Team; 2nd PB 

The Storyline: 

Building all the way back. After a stellar 2022 season, Colt Walker missed the majority of the 2023 NCAA season due to injury. Walker was able to return on pommel horse in time for the MPSF and NCAA Championships and did all six events at the 2023 Core Hydration Classic, but he was competing nowhere near his full difficulty. After finishing fourth in the All-Around at Championships, Walker was named as an alternate to the 2023 World team weeks later. He won gold with the United States at the 2023 Pan American Games final, and was an individual silver medalist on parallel bars with a 14.366. If Walker is competing full strength in Minneapolis he has definitely has the potential to be one of the top All-Around gymnasts in the field and stay right in the conversation for the Games.

CAMERON BOCK

(UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN) 

Vitals: DOB: September 18, 1998 Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI

Career Highlights: 

• 2024 U.S. Championships: 3rd HB; 5th PH; 8th AA
• 2024 Pacific Rim Championships: 1st Team & SR(T); 2nd AA & PB; 3rd HB; 4th PH
• 2024 DTB Pokal Team Challenge: 1st Team; 4th SR
• 2024 Winter Cup: 4th AA; 6th PH; 8th SR
• 2023 U.S. Championships: 5th HB; 7th PB; 8th PH; 9th AA
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic: 4th AA; 6th PB; 7th PH(T), HB; 8th SR
• 2023 Winter Cup: 6th FX; 7th HB; 10th AA
• 2022 U.S. Championships: 5th PH
• 2021 NCAA Championships: 3rd Team; 5th SR(T), PB; 9th AA
• 2021 Senior Pan American Championships: 2nd Team; 6th AA
• Alternate for the 2020 Olympic Team

The Storyline:  

Back to Contend. A member of the senior Men’s National Team since 2018, Cameron Bock surprised just about everyone in 2021 when he was named as an alternate on the Olympic Team. He also surprised — and impressed — at the 2021 Winter Cup, where he brought home the All-Around title as well as bronze medals on pommel horse and rings to kick off his Olympic season last quad. Since then, injuries have kept him out of the All-Around off and on for two years, but at the 2024 Winter Cup, he was back to make a statement that he’s once again ready to contend for titles. A key part of the Wolverines’ success during his time at the University of Michigan, Bock can put up the numbers on pommel horse and rings especially, and his recent success at Pac Rims, the DTB Pokal Cup and U.S. Championships should build his confidence even more heading into Minneapolis.

FLASHBACK to ANTWERP – FUELED BY EMOTION

Heading into the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, three-time Olympian and NBC analyst John Roethlisberger predicted a podium finish for the U.S. Men. With a team hungry for respect and what appeared to be the perfect mix of youth and experience — both on paper and in team spirit — from the get-go, this was their time, their moment. The only question remaining was if this team could rise to the podium without its leader — two-time National All-Around Champion and 2022 World high bar gold medalist Brody Malone — who was out with injury. In an exhilarating and emotional battle throughout the Team Final with all eight teams having a legitimate shot to land in the top three — especially in a 3-up-3-count format — the U.S. men captured bronze, their first World team medal since 2014. But it was so much more than that. The day started strong on floor with veteran Yul Moldauer (who stuck his first four passes cold) on a mission and Fred Richard setting the tone for the day with a pair of 14.366s

“I knew it was my job to set the tone,” Moldauer said. “I did it for those guys because it wasn’t about me.” 

A less than spectacular pommel horse rotation (39.633) kept everyone on edge, but the team stayed strong in the moment and focused on hitting their remaining sets. It was a testament to their strength as a unit and their game plan to treat the competition as an NCAA home meet. 

“It’s not just about the three routines on that event,” Asher Hong said after the meet. “It’s prioritizing all 18 routines and fighting for each and every last routine that you do. Paul (Juda) had a saying this past week that was ‘hit all remaining sets.’ And that’s what we said right as we moved on from [pommel] horse. We forgot about what we did on horse, and we were focused on rings, and then we had success on rings and we forgot what we did on rings and reset and went to vault, and we did that for every single event.” 

The hope remained alive after a monstrous 15.100 for Hong on vault, followed by a clean parallel bars rotation, highlighted by Moldauer’s 14.933. 

It all came down to high bar, where the team had two falls in qualifications. Facing a moment and a routine fitting of a Hollywood script, Richard, who took one of those falls just a few days earlier, stepped up to the podium with everything on the line. With the team sensing their medal was finally just one routine away, Richard was cool under pressure. Hitting the routine with his signature style, he stuck the dismount, ultimately clinching the bronze medal. With gold medalist Japan and the U.S. competing in the same rotation, the camera surrounded both teams, capturing history and the incredible celebration.

Notably, Hong was the only member of the U.S. men’s team who competed in Liverpool last year, but with a veteran in Moldauer plus a roster of rising stars — including 2023 U.S. National All-Around silver medalist Khoi Young, and the last two NCAA All-Around Champions in Richard (2023) and Juda (2022) — it’s safe to say that the new dreams are just beginning to rise for Team USA. 

“Now it’s attainable,” said high performance director Brett McClure. “The reality is set in. Like, you can actually do this, it’s not some unicorn off in the distance that doesn’t exist. Now they can believe in themselves and have a little bit more confidence heading into Paris.” For Richard, confidence is at an all-time high. “We can get to the first place podium,” Richard said. “I have no doubt about it. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but we’re going to push every day of our lives to get there.” And it was Moldauer — an alternate in Liverpool who promised us he’d never be in that position again — who lingered in the Mixed Zone as long as possible, soaking in the moment he’s dreamt of for so long, answering every question, the smile never leaving his face. In the end, he offered the simplest of sentiments — “We did it.” 

And it spoke volumes.

Photo credits: Lloyd Smith and Ricardo Bufolin for Inside Gymnastics

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