Asher Hong takes record lead at Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships
He could cap a busy year by claiming a second national all-around title.
Hong, 21, leads by a record margin after the first of two days at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, looking to become the youngest man to win a second title since Paul Hamm in 2003.
Hong previously won in 2023, when he became the youngest U.S. men's all-around champ since Tim Ryan in 1989.
GYMNASTICS: Broadcast Schedule
On Thursday, he totaled 85.585 points, taking a 4.48-point lead over Fuzzy Benas going into Saturday's final day of competition in New Orleans (6:30 p.m. ET, CNBC and Peacock).
'Just a little bit better than training,' Hong joked on Peacock. 'All the work in the gym is what makes it happen here. As long as I know I put in the work in the gym, I can come to the competition confident, without any worries, without any regrets.'
It's the largest first-day margin since the Code of Points scoring system was implemented in 2006. The previous record was when Paul Hamm led by 3.7 points in 2008.
Hong is one of four men, along with Donnell Whittenburg, Colt Walker and Kameron Nelson, in position to secure automatic spots for October's World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia.
That's because Hong, Whittenburg, Walker and Nelson posted leading scores on vault, still rings, parallel bars and floor exercise, respectively, with difficulty scores at least matching the best put up at the Asian and European Championships in the spring.
If nobody overtakes them Saturday, they will clinch two of the six world team spots.
Whittenburg, who turns 31 on Aug. 18, is bidding for sixth World Championships appearance, which would tie Simone Biles for the U.S. record. He would be the oldest U.S. gymnast to compete at worlds in at least 35 years.
Stephen Nedoroscik — aka Pommel Horse Guy from Paris — also hopes to make the world team, but he had the fifth-best score on the apparatus on Thursday.
Nedoroscik, the 2021 World champion and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist on the event, improvised midway through his routine in his first competition since the Games.
Nedoroscik took nine months off from the sport after Paris, then returned to training in May.
'I literally thought it was impossible for me to be back on this stage this quickly, but I've done it, I did a routine and I'm happy with it,' he said.
Frederick Richard, the 2023 World all-around bronze medalist, is in fourth place in the all-around. He said he's at 80% of his full difficulty, targeting to peak at worlds, should he make the team.
Brody Malone, a three-time U.S. all-around champion, is competing on four of six events this week, skipping floor exercise and vault after his surgically repaired right knee flared up in the spring.
Malone's best chance to make the world team is by excelling on high bar, having won the 2022 World title on the event. He fell twice off the bar Thursday.
Nationals continue Friday with the first of two days of women's competition (Peacock, 7:45 p.m. ET).
Nick Zaccardi,
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