Olympians And Rising Stars To Face Off At U.S. Gymnastics Championships

The new era for USA Gymnastics has arrived. From August 7 to 10, the nation’s best men’s and women’s gymnasts will descend on New Orleans, LA, for the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

The meet marks the most significant test on the road to October’s World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. Athletes participate in two days of competition, with the combined final scores determining the event and all-around champions.

Above all, the event’s results will determine the U.S. National teams. Securing a National Team berth is crucial to contending for a 2025 World Championship roster spot. The Senior World Championships will be hosted October 19 - 25 in Jakarta, while junior competition is set for November 20-24 in the Philippines.

The U.S. Championships will feature a new competitive element: the “Squad Showdown.” Effective on the first day of competition, the rotation groups (comprised of club teammates or random selections) will constitute a “squad."

Each squad’s top three scores from each event will contribute to a total score. Concurrently, the highest-scoring rotation group after day 1 will be crowned “Squad Showdown Champion.” USA Gymnastics reports that athletes and coaches from the winning squad will receive a “commemorative gift.”

Winning squad or not, here’s who to watch and what to look for at the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

Who To Watch: Women’s Competition

The U.S. Women’s National Team’s lineup is dominated by new faces and speckled with a handful of key veterans. For the first time since 2022, a new athlete will win the women’s title. Since 2013, only two athletes other than Simone Biles have won the women’s crown (and they only won in years where Biles was not competing).

2024 Olympic team champion Hezly Rivera will command headlines as the only returning medalist from the Paris Olympic team. Though Rivera heads to Louisiana as arguably the biggest name, the 17-year-old has struggled with consistency in 2025.

The Olympian fell twice on beam and bars at July’s U.S. Classic, but rebounded with a strong second-place finish on floor. Despite her difficult outing in July, Rivera remains a top all-around and event title threat when she hits her routines.

A trio of Olympic alternates will also return to U.S. Nationals this week. Four-time World medalist Leanne Wong continues her illustrious elite career in New Orleans, marking her sixth appearance at U.S. Nationals since 2019. Wong won the U.S. title on bars in 2022 and clinched a bronze in the all-around in 2023.

The star Florida Gator-grad made her 2025 elite return at the U.S. Classic, where she competed two strong, downgraded routines on uneven bars and balance beam. Wong looks to return to all four events in New Orleans.

Fellow Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson drew rousing applause from the U.S. Classic crowd in Chicago, where she tumbled to third in the all-around. Despite the solid result, the Arkansas gymnast did not compete her full difficulty in Illinois.

Roberson peaked at the right time at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, but has not yet been able to achieve results on the major international stage due to injury. At the 2023 World Championships, Roberson was primed to help Team USA to gold and compete for a vault medal, but her hopes were cut short by an ankle injury during warmups. After a strong start in Chicago, many feel that 2025 could be her year.

Tiana Sumanasekera, a non-traveling athlete in Paris, plans to return to multiple events after competing on only beam at June’s Pan American Championships. The UCLA commit withdrew from the U.S. Classic due to an ankle injury, but can contend in the all-around and on balance beam with a full program.

Fans also highly anticipate the return of two-time World team champion Skye Blakely. Blakely was a frontrunner to make the 2024 Olympic team until tearing her Achilles tendon while training at the Olympic Trials.

Though Blakely will only compete bars and beam in NOLA, she could contend for the titles on both events. At the 2024 U.S. Championships, she finished second in the all-around to only Simone Biles. At full strength, Blakely is a contender for the World all-around title. At half strength, she’s a threat on her key events.

While veterans are sure to make headlines, budding talent is abundant for Team USA, with 21 of the 24 entrants under the age of 19.

Rookie Claire Pease raised eyebrows at the U.S. Classic, winning the all-around and vault. Pease is Rivera’s training partner, bringing elegant lines and artistry to the U.S. stage. She heads into NOLA as the defending Junior All-Around Champion and hopes to add a senior title to her trophy case.

Second-year senior Jayla Hang also made a splash in 2025, winning the Pan American Championships and coming home with a team-leading five medals. Despite her lack of major international meet experience (Worlds or Olympics), the 17-year-old is considered a favorite for the all-around title.

Simone Rose, the U.S. Classic runner-up, should also contend in New Orleans. The Olympic trials finalist impressed with her clean, consistent gymnastics in Chicago – traits that could help her sneak onto the medal podium.

Who To Watch: Men’s Competition

There is no shortage of stardom on the men’s side, with many of the 2024 Paris Olympic stars returning to the national stage after a history-making Olympic debut.

The 2024 Paris Olympic team medalists Brody Malone, Frederick Richard, Asher Hong, and Stephen Nedoroscik will headline the men’s lineup in New Orleans.

Brody Malone heads to the Crescent City as the defending U.S. National Champion, but will not be seeking a fourth all-around title. Malone plans to “focus” on four of six events in New Orleans.

The 25-year-old was pivotal in Team USA’s historic bronze medal finish in Paris and looks to add to his individual medal count with a trip to Jakarta. In 2022, Malone captured gold on the high bar, making him the first American man to do so. Malone will likely contend for the high bar title in New Orleans.

2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion and World all-around bronze medalist Fred Richard also headlines the men’s field. Richard began his 2025 campaign with a silver medal at the Winter Cup and has since led the Michigan Wolverines to an NCAA Championship, winning the individual all-around title along the way.

Richard told Neutral Deductions that he plans to use the championship meet as a “stepping stone,” and instead hopes to peak in time to contend for the all-around title at the 2025 World Championships.

Their Olympic teammate and powerhouse, Asher Hong, will also contend for titles. Hong was the 2023 All-Around Champion and claimed the 2025 NCAA titles on floor exercise and still rings. He is also widely regarded for his vaulting abilities.

Two-time Olympic bronze medalist-turned internet celebrity Stephen Nedoroscik rounds out the Olympic list. Nedoroscik generated international acclaim when he clinched the bronze medal for Team USA with his near-perfect pommel horse routine – his only event of the games.

After a whirlwind year that included Dancing with the Stars, the Gold Over America Tour, and multiple brand partnerships, the World and U.S. National Champion returns to elite gymnastics to regain his reign over men’s pommels.

The Olympic stars will also be joined by two-time World medalist, U.S. National Champion and fan favorite Donnell Whittenburg.

Stay tuned for more coverage as the action unravels in New Orleans.

How To Watch:

All podium training will be streamed live on FlipNow.tv, and broadcast sessions will stream live internationally on the USA Gymnastics YouTube channel.

Thursday, August 7

Junior Men’s Day 1: 2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET (USA Gymnastics YouTube)

Senior Men’s Day 1: 8:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)

Friday, August 8

Junior Women Day 1: 2:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET (USA Gymnastics YouTube)

Senior Women Day 1: 7:45 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. ET (Peacock)

Saturday, August 9

Junior Men’s Day 2: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET (USA Gymnastics YouTube)

Senior Men’s Day 2: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET (CNBC)

Sunday, August 10

Junior Women Day 2: 1:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET (USA Gymnastics YouTube)

Senior Women Day 2: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET (NBC)