SI

U.S. Gymnast Asher Hong Delivers Emphatic Celebration After Nailing Vault

Hong is having a great day as the U.S. battles for a medal.

Ryan Phillips

The United States men's gymnastics team is battling for a medal during Monday's team final. There have been ups and downs but one of the high points was Asher Hong's vault. The 20-year-old stuck his routine and unleashed an emphatic celebration.

Hong, who had earned an excellent score on rings to help get the U.S. started, nailed his vault with just a small hop at the end. He initially seemed calm, then exploded with excitement over his performance.

Check it out:

That is just an explosion of Olympic joy right there. The Stanford product is a two-time defending national champion in the vault and was part of the U.S. team that claimed bronze at the 2023 world championships.

Hong seems like the team cheerleader as he got even more fired up later when teammate Fred Richard hit his vault routine as well.

The U.S. is in the mix for a medal with one rotation remaining.

Published |Modified
Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

Home/Olympics