Fred Richard Cruises To Win First U.S. Gymnastics Championship

Aug 09, 2026 09:37 AM - 2 hours ago 1

2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships

Fred Richard became the men’s U.S. National Champion connected Saturday, cruising to his first profession title. Heading into Saturday’s competition, the Olympic and World medalist maintained a slim lead complete rising prima Danila Leykin. Despite a formidable situation from seasoned jock Shane Wiskus, Richard pulled distant from the section connected Saturday successful Phoenix.

Though Leykin took an early lead connected Saturday, Richard’s consistency prevailed crossed six events. With his win, Richard becomes only the 2nd Black man to triumph the U.S. all-around title, joining John Orozco (2012).

All-Around Results

1. Fred Richard (Michigan): 170.015

2. Shane Wiskus (EVO Gym): 167.964

3. Danila Leykin (EVO Gym): 167.001

4. Joshua Karnes (EVO Gym): 164.552

5. Yul Moldauer (Oklahoma): 163.896

Scores from Thursday’s first nighttime of title carried complete into time two, pinch consistency prevailing complete one-time efforts. With nationalist titles and World Championship action connected the line, here’s really the action unfolded successful Phoenix.

The six individual events saw aggregate winners crossed the board.

Patrick Hoopes successfully defended his pommel equine title, while Cooper Kim won his first U.S. title connected the precocious bar. Richard besides won golden connected the floor, while 2020 Olympian Yul Moldauer won his 4th U.S. parallel bars title. Asher Cohen won golden connected the still rings while Kameron Nelson won his 2nd U.S. title connected vault.

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Phoenix Play-by-Play

Rotation One:

Of the all-around contenders, second-place Danila Leykin was first to go. Drawing rousing cheers from the Phoenix crowd arsenic he mounted the precocious bar, Leykin stuck his double-twisting double layout dismount to an contiguous roar. He received a 14.963 – a .300 betterment from nighttime one. The teen was disconnected to a basking start.

2020 Olympian Yul Moldauer started his nighttime connected pommel horse, an arena wherever the seasoned struggled connected nighttime one. On Saturday, he showed awesome improvement, tallying a beardown 13.900 for a adjacent 1.5-point leap.

Fred Richard began his title pursuit connected parallel bars, an arena wherever he placed sixth aft nighttime one. Going routine-for-routine pinch Leykin, Richard showed spot and composure successful his routine, sticking his dismount for different roar from the crowd. Richard scored a beardown 14.453, but conscionable short of what he needed to lucifer Leykin’s monolithic start.

Wiskus besides started his title connected a precocious bar, looking for a important betterment from his nighttime 1 people of 13.250. Wiskus accomplished his goal, notching a beardown 14.200 to enactment successful the all-around race. After a riveting first rotation, 19-year-old Leykin claimed a slim lead.

After One: 1. Danila Leykin: 99.136, 2. Fred Richard: 98.784, 3. Shane Wiskus: 97.407, 4. Taylor Burkhart: 96.034, 5. Cooper Kim: 95.918.

Rotation Two:

Needing a large deed connected precocious bar, second-place Fred Richard couldn’t find the stuck landing, but recovered support from the crowd arsenic he celebrated his effort.

While Richard swung connected the precocious bar, Yul Moldauer swung connected still rings. A beardown arena for Yul, he kept his stellar time rolling, sticking his dismount for a 14.405. Through conscionable 2 events, Yul Moldauer has already improved connected his time 1 full by 1.75.

Over connected floor, Wiskus kept power precocious pinch clean, composed tumbling, keeping him successful the hunt. Minutes later, renowned tumbler Kameron Nelson drew gasps from the crowd arsenic he landed two-consecutive triple-back tumbling passes. After struggling done his regular connected nighttime one, the world level finalist scored a monolithic 15.401.

World bronze medalist Patrick Hoopes graced the servants of the state successful the 2nd rotation, hitting different beardown regular to unafraid his second-straight U.S. title.

After a stellar start, existent leader Danila Leykin struggled connected floor, falling connected 2 of his tumbling passes. Though Leykin vanished strong, the harm would beryllium significant. Fred Richard surged into a sizable lead, pinch Leykin falling to 3rd place.

After Two: 1. Fred Richard: 113.798, 2. Shane Wiskus: 111.557, 3. Danila Leykin: 110.786. 4. Yul Moldauer: 110.078, 5. Joshua Karnes: 109.258.

Rotation Three:

Holding a two-point lead, Richard simply needed to deed his remaining 4 events to cruise to the nationalist title. However, connected his opening level workout pass, Richard almost fell backwards. Using immense limb strength, the reigning NCAA All-Around Champion was capable to prevention the accomplishment pinch a sizable hop. Not perfect, but bully capable to support his lead.

Now successful second-place, Shane Wiskus stayed basking successful Phoenix, cruising done his pommel equine effort for different beardown score. Though improbable to situation Richard for the title, Wiskus remained firmly successful contention for the podium.

Next up connected pommel horse: Stephen Nedoroscik. Nedoroscik entered Saturday’s meet successful 2nd connected his signature event, and continues to easiness backmost into title aft incurring aggregate injuries.

Though he started strong, Nedoroscik missed his manus connected a skill, flying disconnected the servants of the state and onto the mat. Smiling and bowing, the two-time Olympian appeared physically and mentally unfazed by the uncharacteristic mistake.

Shortly aft Nedoroscik’s error, Leykin mounted the aforesaid pommels, hoping to put his level workout falls down him. Showing maturity beyond his years, Leykin glided done his exercise, sticking the dismount to contiguous celebration. Floor mistakes aliases not, he was still successful the badge race.

Closing the rotation connected his champion event, Cooper Kim brought the location down connected the precocious bar. Nailing his pirouettes and sticking his monolithic dismount, Kim appeared to beryllium moved to near-tears arsenic he near the podium. With that landing, Kim earned a staggering people of 15.568 and became the caller U.S. Champion connected precocious bar.

After Three: 1. Fred Richard: 127.947, 2. Danila Leykin: 125.288, 3. Shane Wiskus: 124.957, 4. Cooper Kim: 124.736, 5. Joshua Karnes: 122.921.

Rotation Four:

Opening rotation 4 connected rings, Wiskus only extended his awesome night, fighting done his regular to different stuck dismount and a five-tenth betterment from nighttime one. Minutes later, Kameron Nelson nailed different triple backmost dismount – this clip connected rings, to people a immense 15.075.

Dancing and smiling while he waited for his turn, Danila Leykin waited to equine the still rings for himself. The arena was Leykin’s weakest connected nighttime one, and he could not spend much errors. Fighting done a short handstand, Leykin averted disaster but scored only a 12.500, dropping backmost into third.

After a method rumor disrupted title for complete 10 minutes, precocious barroom prima Cooper Kim returned to the level pinch crystal successful his veins. Kim delivered different beardown routine, while Olympians Moldauer and Richard saluted the judges for their respective events.

While Richard struggled done his pommel equine routine, Moldauer was exceptional connected his trademark event. Moldauer stuck his dismount for a monolithic people of 15.118, securing golden connected the event.

After Four: 1. Fred Richard: 142.610, 2. Shane Wiskus: 139.459, 3. Cooper Kim: 138.536, 4. Yul Moldauer: 137.796, 5. Danila Leykin: 137.788,

Rotation Five:

With only 2 rotations remaining, each tenth mattered. After a subpar effort connected rings, Leykin sewage backmost connected way connected vault, astir sticking his difficult 2.5-twisting Yurchenko vault. Wiskus added different beardown regular of his own, confidently landing his vault for a beardown 13.650.

While Wiskus and Leykin needed a miss from Richard to person an extracurricular changeable astatine the title, the Boston autochthonal wasn’t giving thing away. Richard cruised done his still rings routine, landing cleanly to support his lead heading into the past rotation.

Over connected precocious bar, Yul Moldauer rocketed done his merchandise moves, nailing his full-twisting double layout dismount to an emphatic stick.

After Five: 1. Fred Richard: 156.515, 2. Shane Wiskus: 153.109, 3. Danila Leykin: 151.936, 4. Cooper Kim: 151.436, 5. Yul Moldauer: 150.896

Rotation Six:

Heading into the sixth and last rotation, Richard went to vault, Wiskus and Leykin to parallel bars, Kim to still rings, and Moldauer to floor. While Richard’s U.S. title was each but secured, the conflict for metallic and bronze was steadily heating up.

Closing his title successful Phoenix connected a precocious note, Danila Leykin delivered a beautiful parallel bars regular to people a 15.063. Needing to simply onshore the vault connected his feet, Fred Richard took disconnected down the runway. Though he took a monolithic rebound connected his landing, Richard did what he needed to go U.S. Champion.

Needing a immense people to declare a spot connected the podium, Yul Moldauer vanished beardown connected floor, but mislaid important crushed aft an out-of-bounds correction successful his last pass. His 2020 Olympic teammate Shane Wiskus closed retired a spectacular time successful Phoenix connected parallel bars, looking to the rafters successful alleviation arsenic soon arsenic he dismounted.

After 2 days of grueling competition, USA Gymnastics had its apical 3 all-around gymnasts: Richard, Wiskus, and Leykin. Later that evening, the statement intended to sanction its World Championship team.