Alec Yoder wasn’t planning to be in Tokyo for the Summer Olympics. He was initially left off the U.S. gymnastics men’s national team due to knee pain that limited his ability to take part in all six events.
But a rule change allowed for specialists after the men’s team was cut down from five to four. Now he’s got a shot at medaling in his lone event.
Alec Yoder’s score of 15.20 in Saturday’s qualifier was good for fourth place. Getty ImagesThe gymnast from Indiana advanced to Sunday’s final in the pommel horse after finishing fourth in qualifications. The final is early Sunday morning, as Yoder hopes to become the second American to win a medal in the pommel horse since 1984.
“If I make an Olympic final, I’m not swinging to get fourth,” he told the Indianapolis Star before the Games. “I’m going to swing, and I’m going to swing to be perfect. I’m going to do everything I can to win an Olympic medal. I’m looking for a great routine, not a good one.
“I know I’m on a good trajectory. I feel the best I’ve ever been.”
Yoder recorded a 15.20 score, which was good for fourth overall. His execution score of 8.80 was second. Lee Chih Kai of Chinese Taipei placed first with a score of 15.266. After Yoder’s performance, he received huge cheers from his teammates and the United States women’s gymnasts, who were in the stands. This was his only chance to create an Olympic memory.
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“We all kind of knew what that meant for him and how much pressure he was under, so watching him hit that routine the way he did was definitely something special,” teammate Shane Wiskus told reporters.
The 24-year-old won the pommel horse at the 2020 and 2021 Winer Cups, but until the rule change, he wasn’t named to the national team. Without the $2,000 a month Olympic stipend, he had to work for DoorDash to pay rent and use some of his savings.
“In my mind, the end goal was,: I was going to make the Olympic team,” said Yoder, an eight-time All-American for Ohio State from 2016-19. “If I’m at a job for seven or eight hours a day, it’s not going to work out. I bunkered down and tried to do everything I could to salvage as much as I could.
“I never joined this sport to get rich. If I go broke trying to make the Olympic Games, it’s all good with me.”
