LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky International Convention Center hosted the USA Gymnastics’ 2025 Winter Cup. This is the first elite gymnastics competition of the year.
Several competitions took place for the weekend-long gymnastics event. Olympic gymnast, Frederick Richard, competed on Friday and was in second place for the men’s all-around competition Saturday.
“Yesterday (Friday) was the first, my first all-around competition back from the Olympics so I was excited to get back out here, getting in better and better shape… small hiccups here and there, but that’s part of, you know, getting back into it,” Richard said. “I think I got a lot more comfortable and by tomorrow, hopefully, I’ll look a lot better and get to first place, but overall, a good start.”
Richard was part of the 2024 Men’s Olympic Gymnastics Team that took home bronze, the first time the men had won a team medal in 16 years.
“Definitely a huge highlight, yeah, and now coming back, you know, it’s about obviously getting better and better and preparing for LA 2028,” Richard said.
For many of the 200 elite athletes competing over the weekend, this is the first competition they have taken part in since last year. This is the start of many competitions leading up to the next Olympic Games.
“It’s three years until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, but really that preparation starts now and so the athletes are in a three-year build, adding upgrades to their routines and just seeing how far they can take their routines in order to get ready for the games and try to make that team,” said Jill Geer, a spokesperson for USA Gymnastics.
Spectators gathered at the center to watch the Elite Team Cup competition on Saturday afternoon. Some young fans were also looking forward to the Senior Women competition taking place in the evening.
“I’m very excited to watch them because it, like, inspires me more,” said Caroline Caldwell, a young gymnast who participated in the Kentucky Winter Classic.
“It’s just like, watching them is like somewhere I want to be when I, like, grow up so it’s, like, it’s inspiring too,” said Bella Kelly, another gymnast who participated in the same competition as Caldwell.
While gymnastics is a very popular sport around the Olympics, the hope is that competitions like these get people excited for it in the years between.
Sunday’s competitions begin at 9 a.m. with Junior Women kicking things off. The Nastia Liukin Cup Competition is at 12:30 p.m. Richard will be vying for first place at the Men’s Day 2 Competition at 4:30 p.m.
