In graduate Paul Juda’s house, there’s a whiteboard.
On the whiteboard, Juda wrote down a number of goals. Chief among them was making the USA Olympic Team. But in a crowded field, and having fallen short on a few other goals, Juda was considering erasing it.
But on Saturday, he made his first Olympic team.
“I’m really glad that I wrote on my whiteboard: become an Olympian,” Juda, voice full of tears, told Scott Bregman of Olympics.com. “I was starting to think if I should erase the one that said Olympian because maybe it won’t come true. But I’m going home and I’m gonna put a massive check mark on there.”
It wasn’t just Juda who made the team, though. Junior Frederick Richard won the all-around at the Olympic Trials and finished in the top three in three events, earning an automatic qualification to the USA Olympic Team. Juda placed fourth in the all-around and earned second and third place on floor and pommel horse, respectively. His prowess on those events — ones that Team USA has struggled with in the past — along with his overall proficiency in the all-around helped secure Juda a spot on his first Olympic team.
Richard was considered a sure bet for the Olympic Team, and despite a poor showing on pommel horse that left him out of the top five for much of the first day of competition Thursday, he rebounded on the high bar and floor — his strongest events. On floor he recorded a 14.700, moving himself past National Champion Brody Malone and into first place.
Juda, despite doing well Thursday, found himself on the outside looking in early on in the meet. By the fourth rotation, Juda worked his way into seventh place, and a solid high bar performance soon after moved him into sixth. With one rotation to go — the floor, one of his specialties — Juda had one shot to move into the top five where he’d have the best shot to qualify for the team. And in one of his best routines of the season, he earned a 14.600 and vaulted into fourth place.
On Saturday, Juda performed well, but he slid into fifth place. Advancement to the National Team isn’t subjective like selection for the women’s team is. It’s based entirely on what combination of athletes score the highest. Having one of the best meets of his life and with several athletes underperforming, Juda had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make the team.
Meanwhile, Richard’s spot was nearly secured after a stellar night kept him in first place. His high bar performance was 0.350 points above the next closest competitor that night, and his spot on the team was secured if he won the all-around. But Richard — and Juda, in fact — needed to stick their vaults.
And they did.
Juda executed the same vault many others had performed. Sticking the landing, he earned a 9.500 execution score and a 14.700 score overall. Richard earned a 14.200, securing him the all-around win and a spot on the Olympic team. For Juda, all that was left to do was wait.
And half an hour later, Juda and Richard both emerged as Olympians.
“I had only one goal and it was to hit all my routines and leave here healthy,” Juda told NBC, smiling as tears streamed down his face. “So I’m happy to do that and more! Go Team USA!”
In a time where collegiate men’s gymnastics teams are being cut, four of the seven gymnasts that made the USA team were from NCAA programs: two from Michigan and two from Stanford.
“(It) means a lot for Michigan’s program,” Xiao told The Michigan Daily on Sunday. “We call ourselves the Olympic sport. (To) compete in your game for Team USA is an honor.”
It’s an honor Juda and Richard have dreamed about their entire lives. Last year, Richard won the United States’ first all-around medal in thirteen years when he claimed bronze at the World Championships. Juda was on that team, which claimed team bronze. Now, both Richard and Juda’s sights are set even higher.
“It’s like we shouldn’t even be aiming for even just a medal,” Richard told NBC after the meet. “We should be aiming for gold and we’re going to land on something.”
Now, they’ll have the chance to do just that in Paris.
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