Who's going to be the 2026 U.S. men's all-around champion?
Frederick Richard and Shane Wiskus come into Championships each having posted an identical 83.65, the highest score by any American man so far this year.
The 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships will take place in Phoenix on Thursday, August 6, and Saturday, August 8. The combined two-day score will decide who walks away as the senior men's all-around champion.
Frederick Richard and Shane Wiskus come into Championships each having posted an identical 83.65, the highest score by any American man so far this year. However, because the U.S. bonus system rewards higher difficulty, Richard should have the edge. Here's how the contenders and the rest of the field stack up.
A note on scoring: U.S. domestic meets tack on a difficulty bonus that international meets don't use. International-style format is used unless noted otherwise.
Frederick Richard
Richard (Michigan) is looking for redemption after a disappointing 2025. He finished runner-up to Asher Hong at last year's U.S. Championships and, despite that result, was left off the World Championships team entirely.
Richard opened his 2026 elite season at Winter Cup in Louisville, winning by more than 4.5 points with an 83.650 all-around (84.359 with bonus) and doing it despite a deduction for wearing his own self-designed, non-compliant uniform. Two months later, he capped a decorated Michigan career by winning his third NCAA all-around title in four years, earning All-American honors in five of seven possible categories. His parallel bars routine from the first day of the NCAA championships showed great rhythm, a well-executed Belle (double back to upper arms, E value), and a stuck double front dismount (also E value).
Richard's competition history has a way of running hot and cold. He's had competitions that haven't lived up to his potential, but he also has a habit of finding another gear when it matters most. He isn't shy about his ambitions for 2026. In a social media post on May 5th he said:
I'm locking in for World Championships this October. I'm calling it, there will be a gold medal from Worlds on my neck. Somehow, probably all around, somehow.
First things first, though: Richard is still chasing his first U.S. Championships all-around title.
Shane Wiskus
Wiskus (EVO), the Tokyo Olympian and the alternate on the 2024 Paris team, went under the knife in February 2025 to repair a labral tear in his shoulder that had been bothering him throughout his Paris run.
He returned to competition at February's Winter Cup, and it was humbling: he finished 14th in the all-around at 75.400. Four months later in Colorado Springs, Wiskus blitzed the field at the Men's National Qualifier by more than four points, posting an 83.650 all-around (84.157 with bonus) and winning both floor and parallel bars. Wiskus has never been a difficulty monster; his strength has always been doing everything well and rarely missing. That said, he's been posting training footage of some possible upgrades, specifically, a Liukin release on high bar. He also has already thrown a harder pommel horse set than the one he competed at the qualifier. Still, his path to a national title in Phoenix means putting together 12 clean routines over two days, not overwhelming his competitors with difficulty. Check out his floor routine at the 2026 Houston National Invitational in February, where he shows off his clean lines, stuck landing, and relaxed, confident performance.
Same score, different ceiling
When analyzing each gymnast's top difficulty score on every event from this year (taking Winter Cup, the National Qualifier, and NCAA) into one hypothetical all-around, Richard's ceiling comes out to 32.1 in pure difficulty against Wiskus's 31.0, a 1.1-point gap. Add the U.S. domestic bonus system back in, Richard's harder routines earn disproportionately more of it, and the gap doubles to just over two full points: 33.522 to 31.507.
That's a hard margin to erase on execution alone, even for someone as clean as Wiskus. It means Richard doesn't need his absolute best two days in Phoenix to win the title. However, if Richard makes a large mistake or two, and chooses to seed some of his lead from self-imposed uniform deductions, Wiskus could take advantage.
Other storylines to watch
Yul Moldauer is back. The Tokyo Olympian sat out the entire 2025 season while serving a 16-month USADA suspension for a whereabouts violation (not a positive test). He has spent 2026 earning his spot back on the national team and slowly regaining his previous form. He took Winter Cup silver behind Richard, then earned assignments at the American Cup and Pan American Championships, where he won the parallel bars title. He also made a training change this spring, leaving longtime home gym 5280 and returning to the University of Oklahoma to work under Mark Williams. He earned just over an 80 in the qualifying day of the Pan American Championships, likely not enough to contend for the title at this competition, but still enough to be in the conversation for a podium spot and a spot on the world team.
EVO Gymnastics continues to produce. The program, coached by Olympians Sam Mikulak and Syque Caesar, isn't just home to Wiskus. Keep an eye on 19-year-old Danila Leykin. He’s known for his difficult and unique high bar set and has been trending up all year. If he keeps improving, he could sneak into all-around medal contention. While he still has low-scoring rings set, Leykin told reporters during a pre-championships interview that he was on track with a more confident 4.8 value vault and competitive pommel horse set. EVO teammates Josh Karnes, Michael Jaroh, and Kameron Nelson are also expected to impress at this year’s championships.
Notably absent. Three of the U.S.'s top athletes won't be in Phoenix. Brody Malone, the reigning world champion on high bar, is taking the year off from competition entirely. Donnell Whittenburg, who won his first world title on rings last fall and became the first U.S. man to compete at six World Championships, is out with a partially torn bicep and rotator cuff. And defending national champion Asher Hong is not registered for the event. Their absence opens the door for someone new to grab the spotlight.
What's actually on the line
Neither Richard nor Wiskus has ever won a national title. If either claims the championship this year, it would be a milestone achievement. The all-around winner will be eligible for an automatic World Championships spot as long as they finish top three on at least three individual apparatus across the two days. If an athlete does that, they're on a plane to Rotterdam. Miss that requirement, and the all-around title alone won't guarantee a spot. The World Championships team and alternates will be named following the final day of competition.
Author
Gabriel is a former NCAA gymnast, who represented the University of Nebraska from 2009 to 2013. He has also judged at the JO and NCAA level.
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