The long road to make the US a force in men’s gymnastics

American stars such as Simone Biles have made Olympic golds seem routine. But there is a drive to make their male counterparts dominant in the sport too

In late July the five members of the United States men's gymnastics team ended a 16-year medal drought when they clinched bronze in Paris. Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Fred Richard, and Stephen Nedoroscik were instantly turned into fodder for everything from extensive dives into the sport to Superman memes. When the dust settled, it became clear that the team's impact had also extended to a whole new slate of boys who had just discovered gymnastics, and were inspired to join their local gyms.

With any sudden interest in a sport comes the need for the infrastructure to accommodate it, and boys' and men's gymnastics in the US is no different. Luckily, there are coaches across the United States who are invested in doing exactly that, even if they have to build that infrastructure from the ground up.