The U.S. men's gymnastics team came to Paris believing it could return to the medal stand at the Games for the first time in 16 years. That belief has now become a reality.
Carried by incredible performances from each member of Team USA, including suburban Chicago-native Paul Juda, the relatively young U.S. team exceeded expectations at the 2024 Paris Olympics Monday, securing their first medal -- a Bronze -- in the men's event since 2008.
The team -- made up of Frederick Richard, 20; Brody Malone, 24; Paul Juda, 23; Asher Hong, 20 and Stephen Nedoroscik, 25 -- finished with a score of 257.793, narrowly falling below China and Japan, widely considered top medal favorites for the event, but who both suffered major falls.
Juda, of Deerfield, continued to surprise and awe in the team final event at the 2024 Paris Olympics Monday.
The 23-year-old Deerfield native managed to flawlessly complete a critical vault routine for Team USA, before executing solid routine on bars, floor and pommel horse.
Halfway through the men's event, Team USA sat in second place - though they remained in a tight battle heading into the final half.
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The top of the podium was widely expected to be a duel between superpowers Japan and China, which took home the Gold and Silver, respectively.
The team final will re-air at 7 p.m. on NBC 5.
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Who is on the U.S. Men's Gymnastics team?
The young team is largely made up of Olympic rookies, with Asher Hong, from Tomball, Texas, Stephen Nedoroscik, from Worcester, Massachusetts, and Fredrick Richard, from Stoughton, Massachusetts and Juda all making their Olympic debut.
Brody Malone, who competed in Tokyo, is by far the most experienced athlete on the five-man U.S. team. He has taken on the role of de facto captain, and while he wasn't at his best during qualifying, he made sure to tell his teammates to drink in the moment, as difficult as it might have been at times.
Malone spent the last 16 months defying the odds, improbably coming back from a catastrophic right knee injury in the spring of 2023 to reach the Olympics for a second time.
When the 24-year-old won his third national title in June, he looked every bit the star the Americans envisioned when he became the standard-bearer for the men’s program three years ago.
When was the last time Team USA medaled in Men's Gymnastics at the Olympics?
The last time the United States won a gold team medal in men's gymnastics was 1984.
The last time the United States won a silver team medal in men's gymnastics was 2004. The U.S. also won silver in 1904 and 1932.
The last time the United States won a bronze team medal in men's gymnastics was 2008. The U.S. also won bronze in 1984.
Men's gymnastics schedule: When is the next men's gymnastics event?
Wednesday, July 31 - The men's gymnastics all-around final will take place starting at 10:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday, July 31. The event will air live on NBC 5, and streaming on Peacock. Only Paul Juda and Fredrick Richard will compete.
Saturday, Aug. 3 - The men's gymnastics floor exercise final will take place at 9:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 3. The event will air live on E! and streaming on Peacock.
Saturday, Aug. 3 - The men's pommel horse final will be held at 10:16 a.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 3. The event will air live on E! and streaming on Peacock.
Sunday, Aug. 4 - The men's rings final will be held at 8 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 4. The event will air live on NBC 5 and streaming on Peacock.
Sunday, Aug. 4 - The men's vault final will be held at 9:24 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 4. The event will air live on NBC 5a and streaming on Peacock.
Monday, Aug. 5 - The men's parallel bars final takes place at 4:45 a.m. CT on Monday, Aug. 5. The event will air live on E! and streaming on Peacock.
Monday, Aug. 5 - The men's horizontal bar final will take place at 6:33 a.m. CT on Monday, Aug. 5. The event will air live on E! and streaming on Peacock.
