Team USA from left: Brody Malone, Asher Hong, Fred Richard, Paul Juda and Stephen Nedoroscik, of United States, celebrate their bronze medal during the men’s artistic gymnastics team finals round at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Asher Hong, along with his teammates, etched their names in Olympic history by securing Team USA’s first men’s gymnastics team medal since 2008, a bronze, at the Paris Olympics. The team comprises Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, and Frederick Richard.
Hong, 20, hailing from Plano, Texas, and currently a sophomore at Stanford University, showcased his prowess on Monday with a daring vault that commentators hailed as “death-defying.” His contribution was pivotal in securing the bronze for Team USA, marking a significant achievement in men’s gymnastics.
“For me, it feels unreal,” Hong told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth after the competition. “Just the whole journey that I’ve been through to come to this moment and to finally win an Olympic medal for my country and represent them, it feels amazing.”
Hong, alongside his teammates, made their Olympic debuts in Paris, with Malone, a seven-time NCAA champion, making his debut in Tokyo earlier.
Hong’s passion for gymnastics began at an early age, inspired by scaling door frames at 3 years old. By age 6, his dreams of Olympic glory were set in motion when his Chinese immigrant parents enrolled him in gymnastics classes. His journey to success led the family to Texas due to his father’s work, where Hong continued to hone his skills, ultimately becoming an NCAA team and vault champion with Stanford.
Asher is an inspiration, an olympic medallist at only 20. I hope to be in the 2032 Brisbane olympics when i’ll be the same age. I saw him on stan reruns. also his friend Ian and Khoi are very funny gymnasts, also really skilled.