Michigan gymnast reaches new heights and joins U.S. Olympic team

Paul Juda of Michigan was on the verge of participating in the U.S. gymnasts’ Olympic trials on June 27 and 29 in Minneapolis.

The Deerfield, Illinois native picked a good time to compete in the event of a lifetime. During the two-day event, he accomplished what he set out to do: zero falls and complete all of his routines. Judah finished fourth in the all-around and finished in the top five in four events: floor (second), pommel horse (third), vault (fourth) and high bar (fifth). His Olympic dream is now in the hands of the selection committee, which used an algorithm based on results from the U.S. championships and Olympic trials to determine the five members and two alternates who will represent the U.S. in Paris from July 26 to August 11.

Judah’s Michigan teammate Fred Richard was the only one of the 20 competitors who did not have to endure the tense moments of waiting at the Target Center for the committee’s decision, as he automatically secured a qualifying spot by placing first in the all-around and placing in the top three in three events.

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“My heart was in my throat,” Juda said last week at the Newt Loken Training Center in Ann Arbor. “I literally couldn’t stand still. I knew there was a chance. Like I said, like, ‘Yeah, there’s something at stake here. It’s your dream.’ I knew I had put myself in a good position, but, oh my God, my heart is in my throat, like I can feel my blood rushing through my veins.”

Judah, who turned 23 this month, had the shortest wait of any competitor as his name was announced first. He broke down in tears on the NBC Sports broadcast after being announced as an Olympian to the crowd at Target Center.

“All the emotions just overwhelmed me right away,” he said. “That split second when they call your name, I realized your dream is forever true. The quote I always remember and will always remember is, ‘Once an Olympian, always an Olympian.’ It’s a dream come true. I wish I could say I went in there cool and knew I had done it and I was going to do it for sure, but when they called my name, it made the whole thing even more special.”

Judah concluded his successful college career in 2024, winning the NCAA title in floor exercise. He was the 2021 and 2022 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and the 2022 NCAA champion in the all-around and vault.

But there were also low points. In 2023, he missed the season due to injury and had to wear a redshirt. The low point, however, came at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, when he was neither selected for the team nor given a reserve spot.

Juda has taken a different approach this time around and is also a more experienced gymnast, helping the U.S. to bronze at the 2023 World Championships — the country’s first team medal since 2014 — and reaching the finals on vault and high bar.

“In 2021, I realized I was so focused on making it or missing the team,” Juda said. “I put so much emphasis on being an Olympian this year that I didn’t even get to enjoy the stage. At one point during the competition, I said, ‘Man, I remember when I used to do this just for fun.’ And (coach Jordan Gaarenstroom) said to me one day during the competition, ‘You’re still doing it for fun. It should still be for fun.'”

“I don’t think I really understood that statement at the time. This year, I 100% tried to soak up every moment, every single minute that I had with the crowd. Every time I heard my name, every single person that I hugged or asked for an autograph or whatever, man, those are the moments that I’m going to remember. Competing was great, but it saved so much stress knowing that I was out there just living my dream.”

However, making the team was only the first step. Juda and Richard don’t want to return to Ann Arbor empty-handed. The USA hasn’t won a medal in men’s gymnastics since 2008, and hasn’t won a gold medal since 2008. Does that put more pressure on this year’s group?

“Probably,” Judah said. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel it, but we have an immense support system. We have some of the best guys in the world on the team and we know we were chosen for a reason – to represent our country and receive the highest honor possible.”