2 Massachusetts gymnasts help Team USA win Olympic medal

PARIS - A pair of world class gymnasts from Massachusetts helped U.S. men's gymnastics get back on the Olympic podium. Frederick Richard, a Stoughton native, and pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik of Worcester played a big part in Team USA winning its first medal in 16 years for team gymnastics at the Olympic Games.

Fred Richard leads Team USA

Richard, the 20-year-old who also won bronze at the individual all-around competition at the world championships in Belgium earlier this year, led the way for the Americans. He had the best team score for floor exercise with a 14.466, parallel bars at 14.566 and horizontal bar at 14.833.

Richard was the youngest American man to win a medal at last year's world championships. He graduated from Stoughton High School in 2022. And he came into these Olympic Games aiming high.

"I want to be a medalist Olympian, that's my personality," he told the Associated Press before the start of competition. "There's always more to go. And I'm excited to just keep gunning for it."

Stephen Nedoroscik, pommel horse specialist

Sterling Gym in central Massachusetts held a watch party for their alum Nedoroscik. The Worcester native has drawn comparisons to "Clark Kent" for the glasses he wears.

He only competes in one event - the pommel horse - but does it exceptionally well. He was the 2024 U.S. pommel horse champion and scored a 14.866 in the Olympics, which was the highest score for any event among the U.S. male gymnasts.

Nedoroscik will be in the individual pommel horse finals while Richard will next compete in the all-around final.