Louisville Loading! Prime U.S. Athletes Head To 2025 Winter Cup
By Nate Salsman and Christy Sandmaier
What’s At Stake:
Winter Cup
The 2025 Winter Cup is a qualifying occasion to the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The Winter Cup may even culminate within the number of the Males’s Senior Nationwide Group to be named following the competitors.
Elite Group Cup
Previously the Elite Regional Championships, first held in 2014, and now known as the Elite Group Cup, this premier occasion options 9 males’s Regional Groups, every consisting of six junior elite gymnasts. Group scores for the Elite Group Cup will probably be primarily based on 5 athletes competing on every occasion with the highest 4 scores on every occasion counting.
Nastia Liukin Cup
Who We’re Watching!
FOR THE WOMEN
Hezly Rivera
Rivera had a whirlwind of a yr in 2024, from successful an Olympic gold medal to publish Olympic stardom, she has been going non cease! Regardless of the busy schedule, Rivera is slated to compete at Winter Cup! We count on Rivera to carry her signature magnificence to her bar and beam routines, however this time with the arrogance and poise of being an Olympic Champion. Take a look at our in-depth cowl story on Rivera coming this week to Insidegym.com!
Jayla Grasp
Regardless of narrowly lacking out on competing at Olympic Trials, Jayla Grasp made a press release in 2024! She gained the All-Round on the 2024 Pacific Rim Championships and helped workforce USA win gold! Grasp is thought for her big abilities corresponding to her again handspring + again tuck full on beam! Within the fall, Grasp additionally dedicated to compete for the College of Florida! She’s been holding busy in coaching, posting many new abilities on social media! Her new bar routine features a Downie + Pak combo and she or he’ll actually be one to observe in 2025!
Simone Rose
After ending tenth within the All-Round on the Xfinity U.S. Championships in 2024, Simone Rose certified for her first Olympic Trials. Rose can also be dedicated to The College of Florida and she or he’s been working main upgrades corresponding to a double twisting Yurchenko on vault, new bar connections and a whip + double tuck + entrance punch on flooring! Rose at all times brings her signature persona and efficiency high quality in her flooring routines which at all times leaves us with a smile.
Zoey Molomo
Molomo’s eleventh place end at Championships launched her to her first Olympic Trials! On the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Championships, she earned a stable 13.650 on beam and displayed nice execution in all of her gymnastics! Molomo SCRAPES the ceiling on her sky-high Yurchenko 1.5 on vault! That vault will match proper in at UCLA the place she not too long ago dedicated! She was additionally current at the newest Nationwide Group Camp and is able to tackle 2025! Search for our interview with Zoey coming quickly to InsideGym.com
Tiana Sumanasekera
Tiana Sumanasekera additionally had an enormous 2024! She completed third on flooring at Championships and ninth within the All-Round to qualify for Trials. At Olympic Trials, she completed third on beam and eighth within the All-Round and was named to the Olympic workforce as an alternate! After her Olympic run, she dedicated to UCLA and has been prepping for 2025! Sumanasekera is a rock on beam and her flooring choreography is at all times a spotlight! Time for extra wonderful gymnastics in 2025!
Eveylynn Lowe
Olympic Trials qualifier Eveylynn Lowe had a breakthrough 2024! At Championships in 2024, she completed sixth on beam with a excessive rating of 13.750! She brings tough abilities like her facet aerial + structure stepout on beam! Most not too long ago, Lowe dedicated to compete for the College of Oklahoma in faculty! She additionally was current at the newest Nationwide Group Coaching Camp! We can’t wait to see what Evey has in retailer this yr!
Different Standouts!
Michigan commit Myli Lew is a standout on bars and beam! An harm took her out of competitors final yr, however she will probably be again at Winter Cup. Florida commit and Olympic Trials competitor Dulcy Caylor may even be again this yr. Be careful particularly for her highly effective double-twisting Yurchenko on vault and her type on each occasion! UCLA commit Nola Matthews may even be in Louisville and we’re so excited to see her on bars, and flooring particularly the place her choreography is like no different! Even be looking out for CaMarah Williams, Kelise Woolford, Kieryn Finnell, and Claire Pease.
Replace: Addy Fulcher has withdrawn as a consequence of harm.
Inside Gymnastics will proceed to supply roster updates as we obtain them!
FOR THE MEN
Frederick Richard
The Olympic Medalist. 2023 was stellar for Frederick Richard as he went primetime successful bronze (Group and All-Round) at his first World Championships, turning into each a star and chief for Group USA alongside the best way. Now, he’s a seasoned professional and a 2024 Olympic workforce bronze medalist, breaking boundaries and fueling desires. However that was solely the start for Richard, who needs gold in 2028. Easing again into the 2025 NCAA season for Michigan, Richard was stellar on excessive bar in opposition to Illinois scoring a 14.700, and taking the title on the occasion. The 2025 Winter Cup will formally mark the beginning of Richard’s Highway to LA.
Colt Walker
Constructing all the best way again. After a stellar 2022 season, Colt Walker missed the vast majority of the 2023 NCAA season as a consequence of harm. The Stanford fifth yr, who roared again in 2024 the place he was as soon as once more a part of Stanford’s Nationwide Championship workforce, gained the 2024 Nissen-Emery Award and captured the bronze medal on parallel bars on the 2024 U.S. Championships, arguably his strongest occasion. He positioned tenth on the 2024 Olympic Trials and will probably be seeking to make his case early in Louisville as a key contributor to the U.S. workforce as soon as once more.
Kameron Nelson
The Triple Again. One in every of three workforce captains for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Kameron Nelson seems to be higher than ever up to now this season, and he’s additionally made a bit of historical past alongside the best way turning into the primary gymnast to ever carry out two triple backs in a single flooring routine – a triple pike and a triple tuck! These unbelievable abilities led him to a 13.800 and helped him win the occasion title on the West Level Open to kick off his 2025 NCAA season. Nelson, the 2024 Winter Cup and 2023 U.S. vault champion, and 2023 Winter Cup flooring and vault champion, is prepared for an enormous 2025 on the nationwide and (hopefully) worldwide scene, beginning at Winter Cup.
Alex Diab
King of the Rings. With regards to the rings, 2020 Olympic alternate Alex Diab continues to be the grasp! With very good issue, power and management, Diab certified for finals on rings in each World Cup occasions he entered in 2022. He’s the 2024 U.S. Champion, and the 2023 and 2024 Winter Cup Champion on the occasion. Diab has the talents to attain massive on the worldwide scene and we’re excited to see him again and making some noise!
Patrick Hoopes
The (different) Horse Man. Patrick Hoopes would be the first to inform you he’s a specialist. “I’m a horse man,” the Air Pressure Cadet instructed us in an interview final yr. “I’ve discovered in faculty to have a really, let’s say real looking, view of my abilities, and the extra I skilled on horse, the higher I grew to become.” Higher is a little bit of an understatement. This season, Hoopes grew to become the primary to attain above a 15.0 on PH (15.150). If Group USA continues searching for a specialist on PH so as to add to its roster, Hoopes, who competed on the 2024 Olympic Trials, stays 100% key to the dialog.
Parker Thackston
Talking of Pommel Horse guys, add Parker Thackston to your record! The Ohio State junior was not too long ago named Large Ten Specialist of the Week for the second time this season, and the fourth time in his profession, incomes his fourth win (14.500) in 4 whole meets this season on the pommel horse, to take the crown in opposition to No. 1 Oklahoma. He’s additionally contributing to the Buckeyes’ workforce rating excessive bar and has shortly change into one to observe.
Taylor Burkhart
Stanford Senior Taylor Burkhart delivered an unforgettable efficiency for Stanford on the Stanford Open together with posting nation’s prime all-around rating of the season that week with an unbelievable 83.900, a career-high, a career-high on pommel horse (14.300, and season-best scores on flooring (14.350), excessive bar (13.800), nonetheless rings (13.650), and parallel bars (13.500). Burkhart positioned fifth on excessive bar finally yr’s Winter Cup and is the 2023 U.S. Silver medalist on flooring. Like so many within the males’s area, he’ll be seeking to make a press release at Winter Cup as 2025 will get rolling.
Taylor Christopulos
With his confidence persevering with to develop on the NCAA stage particularly as a fifth yr for Nebraska, Taylor Christopulos’ efficiency is elevating as effectively. He helped lead the Huskers to a 12-8 total end in 2024, highlighted by their third-place end on the Large Ten Convention Championships and a fourth-place end on the NCAA Championships. He’s sharp, clear and constant throughout the board, which interprets into his competitors outcomes. Be looking out for Christopulos to shock and even problem for podium end in Louisville.
Riley Loos
As a three-time NCAA workforce champion (2021-23), two-time MPSF workforce champion (2022-23), 2022 NCAA Champion on rings, 2023 Nissen-Emery Award Finalist and seven-time NCAA All-American (2020: All-Round, rings; 2021: flooring, excessive bar, rings; 2022: flooring, rings), Riley Loos was instrumental to the success of the Stanford Cardinal. Now, he’s working his manner up the boys’s nationwide and worldwide scene. He took third at Winter Cup in 2024, presumably shocking everybody however himself, and was a part of the gold medal effort at theDTB Pokal Combined Cup. Robust on rings and throughout the All-Round, Loos can’t be counted out in Louisville.
Ian Sandoval
Twice this season, Illinois freshman Ian Sandoval has been named the CGA Rookie of the Week. After incomes two profession highs (pommel horse and excessive bar) and successful the all-around title at then-No. 7 Michigan, Sandoval additionally moved up the nationwide ranks to the primary spot within the all-around. He’s now added six weekly awards and 5 occasion titles over the course of simply 4 competitions to his resume, and he’s undoubtedly one to observe at Winter Cup and within the years to return!
Additionally on our radar for the boys, Olympic Trials qualifier Kae Uemura, Kiran Mandava, Ignacio Yockers, Dante Reive, Brandon Dang, Jeremy Bischoff, and Crew Daring.
USA Gymnastics Protection Word for 2025
Winter Cup will kick off a USA Gymnastics 2025 livestreaming schedule that features competitions, camps and podium trainings all through the nation.
The 2025 home season will start with unique dwell protection of Winter Cup, Feb. 21-23 in Louisville, Kentucky, on USA Gymnastics’ YouTube channel, which is able to carry all competitors within the Nastia Liukin Cup, Elite Group Cup and Winter Cup occasions. USA Gymnastics’ streaming subscription service, FlipNow.television, will carry podium coaching.
Word: All different 2025 USA Gymnastics premier occasions will livestream free on YouTube, together with USA Gymnastics Championships elite competitors, U.S. Traditional and U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
FlipNow.television will livestream podium coaching in any respect premier occasions along with carrying dwell protection of a spread of competitors, together with the Improvement Program Nationwide Championships, Rhythmic Elite Qualifier, USA Gymnastics Championships non-arena competitors, American Traditional, Hopes Traditional, Hopes Championships, and the ladies’s creative World Championships choice camp. Archival footage, competitors highlights and athlete profiles will proceed to be uploaded and accessible on the FlipNow web site.
2025 USA Gymnastics streaming schedule (occasions and particular streaming dates topic to alter)
USA Gymnastics YouTube schedule (free entry)
Feb. 21-23 – Winter Cup/Nastia Liukin Cup/Elite Group Cup – unique dwell protection
June 16-21 – USA Gymnastics Championships
July 18-19 – U.S. Traditional
Aug. 7-10 –U.S. Gymnastics Championships
