Hobbies
Playing video games. (usagym.org, 24 Jun 2021)
Occupation
Athlete, Coach
Education
Electrical Engineering - Penn State University: State College, PA, USA
Spoken languages
English
Club
Penn State University: State College, PA, USA
Injuries
He unknowingly competed with a broken bone in his left hand at the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, where he won a gold medal. He then needed to wear a cast for 10 weeks before returning to training in May 2022. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 19 Aug 2022; sterlingmeetinghousenews.com, 10 Apr 2022; bostonglobe.com, 16 Aug 2022)
An elbow injury meant he was unable to train for nine days in the lead-up to the US trials for the 2021 World Championships. (telegram.com, 29 Sep 2021)
He was diagnosed with vocal cord dysfunction in 2021. (sterlingmeetinghousenews.com, 10 Apr 2022)
In early 2020 he developed edema in his bone marrow. He could not train for two months. (flogymnastics.com, 04 Feb 2021)
Start sporting career
He took up gymnastics at age four.
Reason for taking up the sport
"I was really just a monkey as a kid. I had a crazy good grip strength. I was just in a really good environment to become a gymnast."
Milestones
He became the first gymnast representing the United States of America to win a gold medal on pommel horse at the world championships when he was victorious at the 2021 edition of the tournament in Kitakyushu, Japan. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 19 Aug 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 07 Oct 2022)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 19 Aug 2022)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning gold on pommel horse at the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. (sterlingmeetinghousenews.com, 10 Apr 2022)
Most influential person in career
Coaches Bob Donahue and Liz Gonzalez. (sterlingmeetinghousenews.com, 10 Apr 2022)
Rituals
He wears sports glasses during competitions for comfort and superstitious reasons rather than to help his eyesight. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 19 Aug 2022)
Philosophy / Motto
"I've always thought if you say something out loud, a lot of times it will happen. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy." (flogymnastics.com, 04 Feb 2021)
Awards
In 2020 he was presented with the Nissen-Emery Award, which is given to the top senior gymnast in the National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA]. (flogymnastics.com, 04 Feb 2021)
Additional information
SPECIALIST
He believes the longer he continues as a pommel horse specialist, the less likely he is to add another apparatus to his repertoire. "I've always had that thought of potentially picking up parallel bars or rings. But with the years that pass of me just being a specialist, it's becoming less and less likely that I'll be able to do that. So probably not." (olympics.nbcsports.com, 19 Aug 2022)
COACHING
Since graduating from Penn State University in 2020, he has served as a volunteer assistant coach at the university while continuing to train there. (sterlingmeetinghousenews.com, 10 Apr 2022)
Last update : 2024-07-22
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