Four U-M Men's Gymnasts Set for 2024 Olympics
7/1/2024 2:54:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics, Olympics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Three current University of Michigan men's gymnasts -- Paul Juda, Lais Najjar and Fred Richard -- and former Wolverine Kevin Penev have punched their tickets to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Richard and Juda will represent the United States after their performances at the U.S. Olympic Trials, while Najjar and Penev will compete for Syria and Bulgaria, respectively.
Paul Juda | United States
• Finished fourth in the all-around at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
• Finished sixth in the all-around, fifth in the floor exercise, sixth on the pommel horse, and ninth on the rings at the 2024 U.S. Championships
• 2023 World Team bronze medalist
• 2024 NCAA floor exercise champion
• 2022 NCAA vault and all-around champion
• Eleven-time All-American
• 2022 Big Ten all-around and high bar champion
• Two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Year
Lais Najjar | Syria
• Awarded the Tripartite invitation to compete at the 2024 Olympics
• Won gold in the all-around and floor exercise, silver on the high bar, and bronze on the vault and parallel bar in the 2023 Arab Games
• Won silver on the vault and finished seventh on floor exercise at the inaugural Cairo World Cup Challenge in 2021
• Finished 17th in the all-around at the 2022 Asian Championships
Fred Richard | United States
• Won the all-around and high bar, finished second on parallel bars, and third on floor exercise at the 2024 Olympic Trials
• Youngest U.S. men's gymnast (20 years old) to qualify for the Olympics as a Trials champion since 1972
• Won the floor exercise title and finished second in the all-around and on the high bar at the 2024 USA Championships
• Eight-time All-American
• 2024 Big Ten all-around champion
• 2024 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year
• 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• 2023 NCAA high bar, parallel bar and all-around champion
• 2023 NCAA floor exercise runner-up
• 2023 Big Ten all-around and high bar champion
• 2023 World all-around and team bronze medalist, the first American to win an all-around medal since 2010 and first team medal for the U.S. since 2014 (fourth-ever in USA Gymnastics history)
>Kevin Penev | Bulgaria
• Selected to represent Bulgaria at the 2024 Olympics after finishing eighth on the vault at the 2023 World Championships
• Three-time World Cup medalist
• Finished 15th on floor exercise at the 2019 NCAA Finals
• Tied for second on floor exercise at the 2019 Big Ten Championships
• Granted nationality change by International Gymnastics Federation in 2023 (both parents originally from Bulgaria); previously competed for the United States
• Finished third on floor exercise and pommel horse, fourth on vault, sixth on the parallel bars, and eighth on the high bar at the 2018 U.S. Men's Junior Olympic National Championships
• Won pommel horse and vault, finished third in the all-around, fourth on floor exercise, and seventh on still rings and parallel bars at the 2018 Winter Cup Challenge (Junior Division)
• 2016 Junior Olympic parallel bar champion
The Olympics opening ceremony will take place on July 26 along the Seine, with gymnastics events slated for July 27-Aug. 5. Team competition is set for July 27 and 29, while individual competition is set for July 31-Aug. 5.
