Brody Malone, who came back from a leg injury to win his third U.S. championship in June, fell twice on high bar and once on pommel horse to scuttle his chances of returning to the all-around finals as the United States fell to fifth in men’s gymnastics qualifying through two subdivisions Saturday.
China surged to the top in the second subdivision, putting together a team total of 263.028 while competing next to rival Japan, the reigning world champion that dealt with a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes by current world and Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto and finished at 260.594.
Great Britain posted a team total of 256.561 for the best score in the first of three subdivisions and sits third overall. Ukraine overcame a nightmarish set on high bar to slip past the U.S. and into fourth at 253.893, with the Americans fifth at 253.229.
The U.S., which finished third at the 2023 world championships, arrived in Paris believing it had a legitimate chance to medal in the team competition for the first time since earning a bronze in Beijing 16 years ago.
Malone’s second miscue on high bar — a high-risk, high-reward event in which he won gold at the 2022 world championships — forced the Americans to use Asher Hong’s 12.600, one of the reasons the U.S. ended up 3.322 behind Britain in the first subdivision.
“It was definitely not perfect,” U.S. high performance director Brett McClure said. “And it was a few too many mistakes. I feel leading into team finals we need to clean some things up.”
Frederick Richard and Paul Juda will represent the Americans in the all-around final.
The five-man Chinese team, missing veteran Sun Wei after he was injured during training Thursday, used a series of spectacular routines on rings and parallel bars to stamp itself as the favorite heading into Monday’s final.
While Japan’s Hashimoto will get a chance to defend his title in the all-around, he won’t on high bar — his signature event — after stumbling during his dismount. He appeared to be dealing with right shoulder discomfort for much of the afternoon and was tended to by a Team Japan trainer shortly after finishing up on still rings.
Hashimoto was third in the all-around through two subdivisions at 85.064, behind teammate Shinnosuke Oka (86.865) and China’s Zhang Boheng (88.597).
The scores will reset for in the team finals, though the only real question is who will join Japan and China on the podium with defending champion Russia ineligible due to the war in Ukraine.
The British put on a largely mistake-free clinic across six rotations. Jake Jarman (84.897) and Joe Fraser (84.666) posted the top all-around scores, and six-time Olympic medalist Max Whitlock, 31, provided a jolt with an electric pommel horse routine — his signature event — that left him looking relieved.
“A lot of people have asked me that question in terms of ‘How’s it feel to be above the U.S.?'” said Whitlock, who is competing in his fourth and final Games. “To be honest, you take it with a pinch of salt. I think it’s really important to kind of just think about our job.”
Whitlock’s 15.133 trailed only American Stephen Nedoroscik, a 25-year-old specialist whose 15.200 likely earned him a spot in the event finals and gave his teammates early momentum.
“It went really well today. I handled the nerves very well,” Nedoroscik said. “I worked my whole life up to those 45 seconds.
“Sure it’s the biggest stage in the world. It only happens once every four years, but at the same time I’m putting chalk on my hands and doing the horse for the team, it’s nothing different.”
Richard scored a 13.833 on floor exercise for the Americans, a bit below what he knows he will need to medal in the all-around finals next week.
While Richard, who earned bronze in the all-around at the 2023 world championships, was expected to advance, Juda’s performance is a bit of a surprise.
Juda, 23, who unabashedly broke down in tears after being named to the five-man Olympic squad, thrust his arms into the air after his dismount on floor exercise. His all-around total of 82.865 was fourth among early qualifiers, trailing only Richard (83.498), Jarman and Fraser.
“I think today would have been one of those things where I got to say I did all-around at the Olympics, but then to hopefully be making an all-around final, I think that’s the cooler thing,” Juda said. “And you know, the coolest thing is yet to come.”
Nedoroscik will also feature in the team final, when three men per country compete on each apparatus and all three scores count.
The third subdivision concludes later Saturday. The top eight team finishers advance to the team finals Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
