After suburban gymnastics star Paul Juda medaled alongside his fellow U.S. teammates in the men's gymnastics team final, coaches, family and friends gathered to celebrate at the place it all started.
Dozens turned out on Monday night at the gymnastics facility where Juda trained in Buffalo Grove.
From an early age, Juda's coaches knew he had something special.
"I remember exactly, like six years old," said coach Yevhen Vovkiv. "He's very powerful..."
The Deerfield native was trained by coaches who watched the years of hard work pay off at an intimate watch party for their hometown hero.
"He had it in his mind, since a little kid, he was gonna be the best," said coach Michael Califf.
Juda, whose unexpected performance has exceeded expectations in Paris and led him to take on a greater role with his team, has been credited for his infectious joy and celebratory reactions after each and every event -- for himself and for his teammates.
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His lifelong friend and teammate, who also attends the University of Michigan, knows there’s more to come.
"I think everyone remembers a time when Paul Juda became better at gymnastics than them," said former teammate Alan Gerdov. "It was fun to root for him."
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Juda and the men's gymnastics team took home the bronze after a performance where the 23-year-old showed the world how truly remarkable he can be.
"Not only does he have that generational talent, he also wants it more than everybody else," Gerdov said. "It’s not an accident that he got here. He works really hard, also very talented, genetics help and wouldn’t have had it if he didn’t work as hard as he did."
"So proud of him, he’s my favorite gymnast ever," said Califf.
