JAKARTA, INDONESIA – OCTOBER 19: Donnel Whittenburg of USA competes during the Men’s Rings Qualification on day one of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Indonesia Arena on October 19, 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)
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Age is just a number for Team USA gymnast Donnell Whittenberg. The 31-year-old made history this week, becoming the first U.S. men’s gymnast to appear at six world championships over his storied career.
Whittenberg and his four U.S. teammates took to the stage in Jakarta, Indonesia, early Sunday morning in the men’s qualification round of the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Though this year’s competition is an individual event (with no team final), Team USA had to compete with the sobering knowledge of teammate Asher Hong’s untimely ankle injury.
Hong, the current U.S. All-Around Champion and a contender for multiple event finals, withdrew from competition early Sunday morning after sustaining an ankle injury in warm-ups. Despite Hong’s absence, the U.S. men competed with poise.
Veterans Deliver
Though Whittenberg’s initial selection to the team came into question after a scary fall at August’s U.S. Nationals, the Baltimore native delivered on Sunday in Southeast Asia. Whittenberg was nearly faultless on his two key events.
On the rings, he nearly stuck his triple pike dismount, triumphing over the same difficult element that nearly ended his career in August. With his two hit routines, Whitteberg qualified in second (rings) and sixth (parallel bars) to the men’s event finals, where he will seek his third and fourth world championship medals.
Whittenberg won bronze on vault in 2015 and bronze with the team in 2014. Though the veteran has long been a staple in the U.S. men’s lineup, he has yet to make an Olympic team or win a world gold medal. At 31 years old, the fan-favorite has never looked better – it could be his year.
“This was part of the plan,” Whittenberg told Inside Gymnastics after the event. That plan includes a trip to LA 2028.
2024 Olympic bronze medalist and former world champion Brody Malone was the second veteran to hit on Sunday. Though Malone competes on limited events this season, he managed to qualify for the men’s high bar final. Malone was the 2022 world champion on high bar and could contend for a second title this week.
Gymnastics Rookies Shine
While Whittenberg and Malone accomplished their goals in qualifications, two Team USA rookies also rose to the occasion.
Former Ohio State gymnast Kameron Nelson delivered on floor exercise, an event in which he is world-renowned for his top-notch tumbling. Nelson qualified third into the event final and seeks his first world medal in his world championship debut.
Two-time pommel horse NCAA Champion Patrick Hoopes also impressed in his world debut. Hoopes qualified third on the event, effectively stepping into the shoes of Stephen Nedoroscik as Team USA’s newest pommel horse phenom.
Though he was unable to compete due to his injury, Asher Hong made his presence known on Sunday, leading the cheers for his American teammates.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA – OCTOBER 19: Asher Hong of Team United States is seen with crutches during the Men’s qualification on day one of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Indonesia Arena on October 19, 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
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How to Watch Team USA Compete in Jakarta
The U.S. men will now have two ‘rest’ days before competing for medals on Friday and Saturday of this week. Team USA has qualified to compete in every men’s event final but vault and the all-around, and fans can catch the action live across multiple platforms, linked below.
Fri., 10/24 at 3 a.m. – 7 a.m. ET (Men’s Floor, Pommel Horse, and Still Rings)
Sat., 10/25 at 3 a.m. – 7 a.m. ET (Men’s Parallel Bars and High Bars)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolineprice/2025/10/20/donnell-whittenberg-rallies-us-men-in-jakarta-after-asher-hongs-injury/
