‘I Legit Started Crying’: Paul Juda’s Emotional Journey to the Final Five of Paris Olympics Has Gymnastics Community Gushing

What he couldn’t achieve in 2021, Paul Juda has done it in 2024! The first-generation American has successfully punched his ticket to Paris. Gymnastics fans witnessed 20 elite gymnasts compete for a spot in the French capital spanning over two days at the Target Center in Minneapolis. With only five spots to fill, Juda stepped onto the floor mat with just one goal in mind – chasing Olympic glory.

The 2024 NCAA Floor Exercise Champion comfortably secured the fourth position on the leaderboard as day 1 concluded. He walked in to day 3 with 84.150, but left the trials an Olympian with 168.850 and a renewed vigor to bring home a gold. As soon as Paul Juda heard his name called in the Final Five, he couldn’t help but shed a few tears. Fans in the stands and watching from home couldn’t help but cry tears of joy with the young athlete!

Paul Juda has punched his ticket to the French Capital

The electrifying atmosphere in Minneapolis was at an all-time high as ardent fans waited to find out who made the Paris-bound team. Each gymnast made their way to the stage as their name was called. Paul Juda could be seen fighting tears. As soon as he was asked how he feels, the Olympian broke down. His reaction had fans feeling emotional too, and one of them shared a snippet of this moment on Twitter. They captioned it, “Because you need the audio. 😭 @UMichGym @PaulJuda2 @USAGym” The audio of this precious moment has everyone gushing over the Olympic Gymnast.

After missing his chance in the 2021 Olympics Trials, Juda has never stopped chasing his dream of an Olympic gold. He emotionally expressed, “I’m really glad that I wrote on my whiteboard: become an Olympian.” The cheers from the crowds refused to die down as Juda watched them celebrating. He continued, “I had fallen short on a couple of other goals that I wrote on that whiteboard, and I was starting to think if I should erase the one that said Olympian because maybe it won’t come true.” His journey to the 2024 Olympic Trials wasn’t short of several hurdles.

He finally stated, “But I going home and I’m gonna put a massive check mark on there.” Paul Juda has officially made it to his first Olympics, and it looks like he won’t be slowing down anytime soon. International Gymnastics Hall of Famer Bart Connor and 2000 all-around Olympic gold medalist Paul Hobb were welcomed with deafening cheers as they made their way to the stage. They had the privilege of introducing the Final Five. Before they could even finish saying his name, Paul Juda had shed tears of joy.

His first thought was to hug his parents and allow the feeling of being an Olympian to sink in. He can now pack his bags and head on over to Paris with Fred Richard, Brody Malone, Asher Hong, and Stephen Nedoroscik as his teammates. By the end of day 2, despite being in the 4th position, his overall score of 28.30 on the Pommel is the highest among the Final Five. Fans didn’t skip a beat and chimed in as well with their two cents.

Fans react to the Olympian’s heartfelt statement

Many fans were left in awe of Juda’s tearful reaction to the announcement. Many headed over to twitter to rally behind him and voice their own opinions. One fan stated, “Stop 😭😭 could not be happier for him” Fans had already watched his dreams come crashing down once. But him being Paris-bound has everyone cheering their favorite on. 

Another fan expressed, “It’s moments like this that make my heart melt!  ❤️  The pure joy and emotion of achieving your life long dream.  You earned it!!  Good luck in Paris!!” After longing for the title of an Olympian, Juda will be making his long-awaited debut in Paris. Another agreed with the sentiment, “So happy for him. It was well deserved. 🙌🏽🙌🏽” Fans are over the moon watching the 2023 Nissen-Emery Award winner get the recognition they believe he deserved. 

A fan ecstatically stated, “So proud of you @PaulJuda2 ❤️🎉 You’re an Olympian!!!“ After his emotional response, fans aren’t missing any chances to remind Juda of his incredible feat. Another fan honestly confessed, “When they announced his name for the team I legit started crying lmao and I have a short clip of him doing snow angels in the confetti after.” Juda may have walked away with the title of an Olympian, but his fans have walked away with endearing memories of the duality of his celebration. 

With just 26 days to go, Paul Juda will now shift his focus to the French Capital and the coveted gold medal. If what we’ve seen at the Olympic Trials is any indication, the gymnastics star will be pulling out all stops on the grand stage. Will Paul Juda finally nab the coveted gold in Paris? We will just have to wait and watch. Stay tuned!