In shocking twist, Paul Juda to take on new role for Team USA gymnastics

NOTE: Spoiler alert below. Men's gymnastics qualifications will air again in primetime starting at 7 p.m. on NBC 5

In a shocking turn of events, Deerfield's Paul Juda will be taking on a new role for Team USA in men's gymnastics at the 2024 Olympics.

The suburban Chicago native nailed his routines during the men's qualification round Saturday in Paris, topping U.S. favorite Brody Malone, who was expected to be the team's biggest medal contender but fell in multiple events in a disappointing showing.

Only two athletes from each country can compete in the individual all-around finals.

Malone, alongside Frederick Richard, was expected to compete for the U.S., marking what would likely be his final competition after coming back from a devastating injury.

But Malone fell twice on high bar and once on pommel horse to scuttle his chances of returning to the all-around finals, a place that will be now be filled by Juda.

Richard and Juda, who are teammates at the University of Michigan, finished in 10th and 13th place, respectively, Richard with a score of 83.498 and Juda with 82.865.

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The Americans, who finished third at the 2023 world championships ahead of Great Britain, ultimately finished second in their subdivision with 253.229. After Subdivision 2, with long-time rivals and goal medal favorites China and Japan, and Subdivision 3, the U.S. finished in fifth, qualifying them for a spot in the finals.

Here's how the top eight teams rank heading into finals:

The U.S. arrived in Paris believing it had a legitimate chance to medal in the team competition for the first time since earning a bronze in Beijing 16 years ago.

Juda could now be at the heart of that effort.

Juda, who went viral for his reaction to making the team during the U.S. trials last month, was fired up after his performances in Paris, excitedly reacting to each finish with a cheer or a fist pump in the air.

In an interview shortly after his finish, he called it the "experience of lifetime" and said his "heart was racing."

The 23-year-old had an all-around total of 82.865, which was fourth among early qualifiers, trailing only Richard and Great Britain's Jake Jarman and Joe Fraser.

Gymnastics is, in the eyes of many, an individual sport. There’s the individual all-around competition, and the individual event finals where gymnasts end up decorated in medals they earned based on their performance alone.

But Juda's main priority entering Paris was his team.

“Its not a one-man journey," he emphatically told NBC Chicago before the Games began.

His goal entering the Games was to help lift the U.S. to a team medal -- and that could still happen.

“Anything after that is gravy,” Juda said at the time.

Now he has the chance for even more, but his focus remains on his team.

"All I can think about is team right here ... This is American culture, brother love... we bonded and today we showed."

Prior to securing his spot in Paris, Juda had nearly written off his goal of becoming an Olympic athlete.

"I'm really glad that I wrote on my whiteboard ‘Become an Olympian,'" Juda said last month. "I had fell short on a couple other goals that I wrote on that whiteboard and I was starting to think if I should erase the one that said Olympian because I guess maybe it won't come true. But I’m going home and I’m putting a massive check mark on there, and I'm glad that it went there, that I kept it there."

Juda entered the competition considered a clean, but not explosive contender. He left a standout competitor who "knocked it out of the park."

But can he contend with some of the best gymnasts in the world in the individual all-around?

We'll have to wait and see.

Team USA will compete for the chance to medal in the team final on Monday, July 29, at 10:30 a.m. CT on Peacock and will re-air in primetime at 7:00 p.m. CT. Individual All-Around will take place on Wednesday, July 31, at 10:30 a.m. CT on Peacock and will re-air in primetime at 7:00 p.m. CT.