Go beyond the scoreboard
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PARIS — Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Paul Juda and Asher Hong stood shoulder to shoulder. Their arms were draped across each other’s backs in a tight line as Stephen Nedoroscik mounted the pommel horse.
When Nedoroscik’s feet touched the mat again, they were all Olympic medalists.
The United States ended a 16-year Olympic medal drought, claiming bronze in the team final on Monday in Bercy Arena. Japan overcame a shocking fall by reigning Olympic all-around champion Hashimoto Daiki on pommel horse to edge out China, which suffered three falls on high bar in the final rotation.
Nedoroscik had waited two hours to perform his single routine of the day. The pommel horse specialist didn’t look fazed, working through efficiently and sending his teammates into a euphoric celebration when he landed his dismount. He raised both fists in the air and wrapped coach Sam Mikulak in a hug. Mikulak lifted Nedoroscik in the air.
American Stephen Nedoroscik is congratulated after completing his pommel horse routine during the men’s gymnastics team finals at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Monday in Paris.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
Japan won with 259.594 points, 0.532 points ahead of China. The United States finished with 257.793 points.
The tight race at the top came from a three-year process that started when the Americans returned home from a third consecutive fifth-place Olympic finish in Tokyo. The United States was already out of medal contention when the Americans entered the arena three years ago. Their difficulty score during the team final was five points behind the top team Japan, a chasm even perfect execution could not close.
They needed to tip the math in their favor.
In an effort to boost the team’s difficulty score, USA Gymnastics used a complicated bonus system that encouraged athletes to demonstrate upgraded skills. Typically, a fall while attempting a difficult element would decide an athlete’s standing on the national team and the financial and marketing opportunities that come with the designation. But the bonus system, which began in 2022, offered a safety net of additional points at domestic competitions for more difficult skills that would have offset a fall.
Fred Richard is already a social media sensation. Now the rising-star gymnast is heading to the Paris Games after winning the U.S. Olympic trials.
When Richard had just learned a tricky full-twisting high bar release in 2022, he took the risk of adding it to his competitive routine for the U.S. championship with assurance that even if he didn’t catch the bar, the bonus system could provide a safety net. He aced the skill both days of competition and it’s been in his routine since. He used it to become the youngest American man to win an all-around medal at the world championships when he took bronze in 2023 while helping the United States to team gold.
The Americans ended a nearly 10-year world championship drought by finishing third last year in Belgium. From a five-point difficulty gap at the 2021 Olympics, the United States was 2.1 points behind first-place Japan at the world championships and 0.7 point behind second-place China.
The math, as they say, was mathing.
Brody Malone, of the U.S., performs on the parallel bars during the gymnastics team finals round at the Summer Olympics on Monday in Paris.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
“We’re going to be able to control our own destiny [at the Olympics],” U.S. high performance director Brett McClure said after the team was announced at U.S. Olympic trials.
When the Americans were safely in medal position following Nedoroscik’s hit routine, McClure handed an American flag to Malone. The 24-year-old was the only member of the U.S. team with prior Olympic experience. He didn’t look the part during qualifications when he began the competition with a fall on pommel horse and fell twice on his signature event high bar.
He apologized to teammates after the competition. But Richard remained confident Malone would bounce back when the team needed him.
The three-time U.S. champion did just that. He stuck his dismount on high bar to anchor the United States’ fourth rotation and keep the team in third place. He followed up on pommel horse in the final rotation with another hit routine and he finally let his emotions show.
He shouted, “Let’s go!” In the celebration, he wrapped the flag around his broad shoulders as a smile overtook his face.
