The Paris 2024 Olympics will be one for the history books for American gymnastics. The USA men's and women's teams won a total of 10 medals. Their impressive haul included three gold, one silver, and six bronze medals.
Men's gymnastics team medals after 16 years
The US men's team had not medalled in the Olympic team event since the 2008 Games in Beijing, China. Their 16-year-long drought ended on July 29, 2024, with a bronze medal in the team all-around final.
The victory was especially surprising after their disappointing performance in the qualifying events the previous day. The team came fifth in the trials, with captain Brody Malone falling during multiple routines. Malone's unusual performance was attributed to a serious knee injury he incurred 16 months ago. It led to speculation about his ability to perform in the finals.
But the fears proved unfounded. The 24-year-old led his five-person team with a flawless routine on the still rings and high bar, improving both his personal score and the team's overall score.
"You just got to forget about it," Malone said of his performance at the trials. "It was over and done with. There's nothing I can do about it. I just had to focus on the next day, and that's what we did. And it ended up working out great."
Fellow gymnasts Paul Juda, Asher Hong, and Frederick Richard also delivered outstanding routines, boosting the team's medal prospects. However, the final result hinged on Stephen Nedoroscik, whose only task was to excel at the pommel horse. Nedoroscik did not disappoint. His flawless performance earned him a near-perfect score, securing the team's bronze medal. The 25-year-old gymnast cemented his reputation as the "pommel horse guy" with another bronze in the individual competition on August 3, 2024.
Women's gymnastics team regains gold
The US women's gymnastics team has been a dominant force in the sport since the Atlanta 1996 Games. The gymnasts have won gold at every Olympic team event except the Tokyo 2020 Games. In Tokyo, they secured silver after Simone Biles withdrew due to a mental health condition known as "the twisties."
The Paris 2024 Games was an opportunity for the women to get back the gold medal, and they delivered. Team captain Biles, along with Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Sunisa Lee, carried out impeccable routines on the beam, uneven bars, and vault before dominating the floor exercises. The skillful athletes decisively claimed the top spot, finishing six points ahead of silver-medalist Italy.
The team's success continued in the individual events. On August 2, 2024, Biles won gold in the all-around individual competition, while Lee took bronze. Lee's impressive run continued on August 4, 2024, with a second bronze in the uneven bars. The 21-year-old's accomplishments are all the more extraordinary considering she battled two types of kidney disease over the past year. Until about six month ago, Lee was unsure she would ever compete in gymnastics again.
Jordan Chiles added to her Olympic haul with a bronze medal in the individual floor exercise competition on August 5, 2024. Biles clinched silver in the same event. With an unprecedented 11 Olympic medals (7 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze), Biles is now the most decorated US Olympic gymnast in history.
When asked if she would compete in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, California, Biles was noncommittal.
"Never say never. The next Olympics is at home, so you just never know," she said.
Resources: NPR.org, USAgym.org, theGuardian.com, CBS.com, NBC.com
