Asher Hong captures first title at U.S. Gymnastics Championships

Asher Hong was feeling the love Saturday (26 August 2023) as he grabbed his first national all-around crown at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

The 19-year-old Texas-native has made a new home in Northern California as a member of the dominant Stanford University men's gymnastics team, based just 20 miles east of the SAP Center playing host to the event this week in San Jose.

He took advantage of what in some ways could have felt like a home meet, soaking in the support of friends and family after each event.

But after executing the weekend's most difficult vault - a full-twisting, double Tsukahara named for Rio 2016 Olympic champion Ri Se Gwang - he errupted, turning to the audience and a nearby section decked out in Stanford's signature Cardinal and white, he raised both arms and yelled, 'Let's go!' as the crowd responded.

Hong was just one routine - on the parallel bars - away from winning the title. A half an hour later and a solid effort on the event, it was official.

He totalled a 170.930 across the 12 routines over two days, holding off collegiate teammate Khoi Young, who posted 169.455 with Michigan's Fred Richard (169.311) following in third.

Hong is the first teenager to win the event since John Orozco in 2012.

"I feel great about everything, it started a little bit slow with the competition. High bar, obviously, I was super motivated after the hit. Floor was a little bit rough, horse was a little bit rough. But then you know, got back on it," said Hong of his performance. "The energy was there for rings, vault and parallel bars. I'm really happy with how today went."

His highest score of the night came for his daring vault, a 15.105. His other apparatus scores included 14.061, floor exercise; 13.000, pommel horse; 15.099, still rings; 14.900, parallel bars; and 13.150, horizontal bar.

Redemption for Young

Young's silver medal comes a year after the 20-year-old was forced to withdraw from the second day of competition at the 2022 nationals after suffering an injury during the warm-up.

Not this year, as he slipped past Richard, who fell off the pommel horse twice attempting his dismount, in the final rotation. Just .144 separated the two.

Young recorded top five apparatus finishes on the floor exercise and pommel horse across the two days of competition. His scores Saturday were: 14.000, floor; 14.922, pommel horse; 13.200, still rings; 15.002, vault; 14.250, parallel bars; and 13.300, high bar.

For Richard, the mistakes on the pommel horse took him out of the running to push Hong down the stretch, his 12.379 on the event effectively ending any hope he had of a national title.

"There's still a whole other level I need to figure out, figure out myself mentally," said Richard afterward. "How to compete on this stage in and excel, not just hit sets, but actually do that next level of performance."

He recorded scores of 14.314, floor exercise; 13.950, still rings; 14.102, vault; 14.400, parallel bars; and 14.697, high bar.