With just a year to go before the 2024 Summer Olympics, several Asian Americans will compete for medals at the US Gymnastics Championships in San Jose from Thursday, August 24 through Sunday.
Gymnastics Now reports Olympic all-around Gold Medalist Sunisa Lee will compete in the vault and the beam. She is making a comeback from a liver ailment and decided not to petition to enter the all-around event.
Her ailment has slowed her ability to train. She competed for the first time at the elite level since 2021 earlier this month at the US Classic.
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On the men’s side, both Korean American Yol Moldauer and Chinese American Asher Hong are considered contenders to win the championship, along with Fred Richard, according to Inside Gymnastics.
Hong represents Stanford University, just down the road from San Jose.
“I don’t think I’ve ever competed in my hometown,” Hong said to ABC7. “I’ve never had a championship in Houston. So, I think it’s really exciting. I hope we get a big crowd here from Stanford, including the athletes and gymnasts. So, it means a lot and I’m really excited.”
The Women’s US World Team will be selected in mid-September during the selection camp.
The Men’s World team however will be selected immediately after the championship. Six athletes will be selected for the World team, including one traveling alternate.
“This is almost the last big meet that you really want to do well at to start getting on that real road to Paris,” said Moldauer. “So, the U.S. Championships is the entry way to Worlds. Then Worlds goes to Olympics and that’s it, so this is a big one.”
Moldauer won the US all-around championship in 2017 and won the classic title in 2017.
Inside Gymnastics says Moldauer is focused after missing out on the World Team last year. He’s planning a laid-out triple-double dismount on the high bar and a double-double layout on floor.
Hong may be tough to beat at he defends his title on the Vault.
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