Teenager Asher Hong takes narrow lead after first day of U.S. Men's Gymnastics Championships

Asher Hong overcame an unusual fall to the floor to take the lead after the first round of the U.S. men's gymnastics championships Thursday night.

Hong, a 19-year-old sophomore at Stanford, posted a total of 85.615 points, just ahead of 2017 national champion and 2020 Olympian Yul Moldauer with 85.548.

Fred Richard, a Michigan sophomore and reigning NCAA all-around champion, finished third with 85.469.

Hong, third at the 2022 national championships, used a huge 15.455 on vault early in the competition to take the lead. His only real mistake came during a floor drill later that night, when he slipped at the end of a tumbling pass.

Moldauer finished in the top four on the still rings, pommel horse and parallel bars to stay within striking distance of Hong heading into the final on Saturday night.

Richard overcame a huge out of bounds on his descent from the vault by scoring a 15.105 on the high bar, one point better than anyone else.

The competition is the final tune-up before the World Selection Team camp in September. The Americans will travel to Belgium without reigning national champion and 2022 high bar world champion Brody Malone. Malone is recovering from surgery on his right leg and hopes to return to competition in early 2024.

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