USA men’s gymnastics star Brody Malone got to a heartbreaking start on opening day at the Paris Olympics.
Malone, 24, is the reigning US national champion and only returning member of the 2021 Olympic team. With his credentials, the Johnson City, TN, native has been considered to give the Americans their best chance at a gold in men’s gymnastics.
However, after a few critical mistakes on the first day of competition and Bercy Arena, including his signature event, Malone will miss out on the individual all-around final.
Malone’s day began with a fall on pommel horse and went downhill from there.
After his initial fall, Malone suffered another mishap on the high bar, an event in which he won a world championship in 2022. The American missed the bar on a release move and stalled after catching it too close on another release before having to drop off.
Brody Malone fell out of contention in the opening day of competition at the Paris Olympics
Malone fell on pommel horse and the high bar, missing the mark for Wednesday’s final
The high bar sequence proved to be the nail in the coffin for Malone’s contention hopes in Paris.
The all-around final on Wednesday will feature 24 athletes, with a maximum of two representatives per nation. With Malone falling third, Paul Juda and Frederick are in strong positions to represent the US.
As a team, the Americans finished second in their qualification group.
Team USA trailed Great Britain by more than three points but have not been derailed from reaching Monday’s team final. The scores will reset then and medals will be up for grabs.
There are two more subdivisions of the competition on Saturday, with powerhouses China and Japan yet to take the floor.
