Donnell Whittenburg First American Gold Medal On Still Rings

Gymnast Donnell Whittenburg gained a gold medal on nonetheless rings, turning into the primary American man to take action on the World Championships.

Based on USA Gymnastics, the 31-year-old carried out the honors Oct. 24 on the 2025 FIG Inventive World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. He additionally achieved one other accomplishment. The gymnast turned the oldest American man to win a world title by doing so at 31 years and 61 days. He surpassed a document held by Kurt Thomas, who gained two gold medals at 23 years and 254 days outdated in 1979.

In his record-setting feat, Whittenburg gained the title on rings with a 14.700 to win a World gold medal on the equipment. He bested Adem Asil of Turkey, who got here in second place with 14.566, and Xingyu Lan of China, whose 14.500 rating positioned him in third place. Whittenburg’s gold medal win on rings is his first Worlds win of his profession, whereas making this his third World medal. The final time he gained a medal was 10 years in the past in 2015, when he took dwelling a bronze medal on vault.

With the gold medal, he joins Brandon Wynn, who gained a bronze medal in 2013, and Paul O’Neill, who introduced the silver medal dwelling in 1994, as the one Individuals to have medaled on rings. He took over O’Neill’s place (28 years and 354 days) because the oldest U.S. medalist in World Championships historical past.

Whittenburg has an opportunity to carry one other win dwelling when he competes Oct. 25 on the parallel bars because the 2025 FIG Inventive World Championships ends in Jakarta.

Different American athletes who’re bringing dwelling medals embrace Leanne Wong, Patrick Hoopes, and Joscelyn Roberson. Wong gained the silver medal for girls’s all-around, whereas Hoopes took the bronze medal within the pommel horse, and Roberson is taking dwelling her bronze medal in ladies’s vault.

NBC Sports activities reported that in his competitors, he carried out a transfer named after him, the “Whittenburg” dismount (a triple pike again somersault). This was named after him as a result of he was the primary gymnast to carry out it internationally in 2017.

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