Richard’s Tight Lead
Frederick Richard secured the lead in the senior men’s field at the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Championships in Phoenix with a strong all-around score of 84.326. The 22-year-old, who earned a team bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and a world all-around bronze in 2023, has yet to capture his first U.S. all-around title despite coming close in 2024 and 2025. With wins at the Winter Cup and NCAA this year, Richard is considered the top contender heading into the final day of competition.
Danila Leykin, who placed 10th in the all-around at last year’s event, is hot on Richard’s heels with a score of 84.173, staying within less than two tenths of a point. Shane Wiskus, a Tokyo Olympian and alternate for the Paris team, ranks third with 83.207. After sitting out the 2025 championships, Wiskus returns to challenge the top two. Cooper Kim, who benefited from a high bar score of 15.368 under the difficulty bonus system, is fourth with 82.018, while Taylor Burkhart sits in fifth with 81.867.
Meanwhile, Patrick Hoopes, the 2025 pommel horse world bronze medalist, led the event with a remarkable score of 15.641. Stephen Nedoroscik, a pommel horse world champion and Paris Olympics bronze medalist, posted a solid 14.958. Event-specific leaders include Richard with 14.758 on floor exercise, Hoopes with 15.641 on pommel horse, and Asher Cohen with 15.075 on rings.
Notable absentees from the competition include Asher Hong and Brody Malone, who have dominated the men’s all-around titles in recent years. Their absence opens the door for new faces like Richard and Leykin to claim the spotlight. The women’s competition begins tomorrow, and the men’s events will wrap up on August 9. With the field tightly packed and several stars returning, the race for the 2026 U.S. all-around title is wide open.