08/06/26 11:56:00
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08/06 23:54 CDT Olympian Fred Richard surges to the lead at the US men's
gymnastics championships
Olympian Fred Richard surges to the lead at the US men's gymnastics
championships
PHOENIX (AP) --- Fred Richard put himself in position to win his first U.S.
national championship, surging to the lead during night one of the men's
competition Thursday night.
Richard, a key member of the 2024 U.S. men's Olympic team that earned bronze in
Paris, posted an all-around total of 84.326 to give himself a narrow
0.153-point lead over Daniela Leykin heading into Saturday night's final.
The 22-year-old, looking to bounce back this year after failing to make the
U.S. men's national team or world championship team in 2025, began the
competition with a stellar parallel bars routine and remained in front despite
taking a pair of neutral deductions.
The first was intentional, Richard was docked three-tenths of a point for a
uniform violation, something he has chosen to do for well over a year while
opting to swap out stirrup pants for compression leggings. The judges on pommel
horse also knocked three-tenths off his score after he failed to salute
properly following his dismount.
Richard will be challenged by the 19-year-old Leykin and 2020 Olympian Shane
Wiskus, who is in third about a point behind the leaders going into Saturday.
Pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik, whose performance in the team final
in Paris assured the Americans a bronze, scored a 14.958 on his signature event
as he tries to come back from multiple injuries that have limited his training
over the last year.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
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