Richard claims inaugural U.S. all-around title amid deductions and team reshuffle
Olympic bronze medalist Frederick Richard secures national crown despite technical penalties, as Shane Wiskus returns from injury and key veterans sit out.
Frederick Richard has secured his first U.S. all-around gymnastics title at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix, finishing with a total of 170.015 points across two nights of competition. The Olympic and World Championships bronze medalist defeated Tokyo Olympian Shane Wiskus by a margin of 2.051 points, adding the national crown to an existing portfolio that includes a 2023 World Championships all-around bronze and a 2024 Olympic team bronze.
Richard’s victory was achieved despite accepting significant deductions for administrative and technical errors. On Thursday, he conceded six-tenths of a point for uniform non-compliance and another six-tenths for an incorrect salute following his pommel horse routine. He repeated the uniform deduction on Saturday, accepting a further three-tenths penalty, though he corrected his salute execution later in the day.
The competition featured notable returns and absences among the nation’s elite. Shane Wiskus, who had missed the 2025 U.S. Championships following shoulder surgery, reversed a planned retirement to compete. Meanwhile, previous all-around champions Brody Malone and Asher Hong were absent; Malone is taking the season off, while Hong missed nationals due to finger and hand injuries.
Danila Leykin, 19, initially held a narrow lead over Richard after the first night, trailing by just 153 thousandths of a point. However, the 19-year-old dropped to third place after falling twice on the floor exercise on Saturday, a mistake that cost him two points. Olympic bronze medalist Stephen Nedoroscik also struggled, falling off the pommel horse and dropping out of the top three in that event while managing a left shoulder injury.
The United States will select a five-man team to represent the country at the World Championships in Rotterdam in October, with the final roster to be announced at the conclusion of the weekend. The championships conclude on Sunday with the women’s competition, which will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
