--- title: "Frederick Richard holds off Danila Leykin at the 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix; Leykin closes to 0.153 behind at halfway." sdDatePublished: "2026-08-07T13:14:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/2026-u-s-gymnastics-championships-frederick-richard-holds-off-newcomer-danila-leykin-in-opening-night" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Phoenix" - "United States" --- Frederick Richard holds off Danila Leykin at the 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix; Leykin closes to 0.153 behind at halfway. 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships: Frederick Richard holds off newcomer Danila Leykin on opening night 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships: Frederick Richard holds off newcomer Danila Leykin on opening night The Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist set the pace and held it, but newcomer Danila Leykin pushed him all the way through the first of two days in the men's all-around. Frederick Richard set the pace early and held it, but Danila Leykin made sure he felt the heat. Richard, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, topped the men's all-around standings after the first of two days of competition at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix on Thursday (6 August), posting 84.326 to carry the lead into Saturday's final session. "It's a good thing to see a lot of great areas, but then I'll see areas to improve, because that means Saturday, I can lock in and make those changes," Richard told reporters. Richard was in front by more than a point at the halfway mark and never gave it back. The one scare came on pommel horse, where a shaky start nearly put him on the floor before he steadied and completed his routine. He closed on vault, scoring high enough on his handspring, double front to keep him out in front. The push came from an unfamiliar name. Leykin, a relative newcomer who competed at the Junior Worlds last season, spent the night climbing. His highlight came in the form of a high-flying high bar routine that helped lift him into second going into the final rotation. He stayed there with a 13.800 on floor to finish on 84.173, all of 0.153 back of Richard. Shane Wiskus sits third with 83.207. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian, back at the U.S. championships after sitting out the 2025 season, had led the chase early on the strength of the second best parallel bars score of the night, a 14.805. He has been here before, and he said as much. "I've never been the type of gymnast to pull away with a big lead," Wiskus said. "I've always been in the dog fights. I live battling, event by event. This is nothing new for me." Stephen Nedoroscik , the Paris 2024 Olympic pommel horse bronze medallist, opened the competition on his specialty apparatus while nursing a shoulder issue, posting 14.958. He was beaten only by 2025 world bronze medallist Patrick Hoopes , who scored 15.641. Richard would rather have the company than not. Asked if he likes having someone push him in competition, he did not hesitate. "A thousand percent," he said. "I need them at Worlds, I need them in 2028. And Dani [Leykin], I think, is going to be a big star. He looks amazing. We'll keep pushing each other, and I like where he is right now." The feeling runs both ways. "It's not like me against Shane or Fred," Leykin said. "We're all in this together."