USA Gymnastics’ Policy Makes Gymnast Pull Out From Representing America at Doha World Cup 2024

With the 2024 Olympics’ shadow getting longer on the horizon, gymnastics stars around the world are hoping to make the most of every opportunity along the way. However, bureaucratic troubles often bring things to a stalemate that can hinder the athletes’ attempts to test the waters before the grand showdown in Paris later this year. A similar communication error by the USAG has now resulted in a national champion opting out of the FIG Doha World Cup 2024.

Curran Phillips rose to nationwide stardom after winning an individual gold medal at the 2022 NCAA Championships. After his gold medal haul at both the Pan American Championships and the PanAm Games last year, Phillips was poised to carry the USA flag at the FIG World Cup Series in Doha as the last pit stop before the Paris Games. While his absence raised several eyebrows, it looks like his decision to do so wasn’t entirely voluntary.

National gymnastics star takes a hard stand against USAG

A recent post on X by Olympian and gymnastics coach Syque Caesar has shed light on the matter that prompted Curran to pull out from the Doha World Cup. The post comes with the startling information that the nation’s apex gymnastics body wasn’t ready to provide medical personnel to accompany the athletes on their trip to Qatar, and naturally, some stars like Phillips didn’t want to put up with the possible risks considering the bigger goal of the Olympic looming on the back of their heads.

“Curran withdrew from the competition when we learned that USAG was not providing medical personnel for Doha.“, informs Caesar’s post, but more staggering pieces of the USAG’s policy for its stars will freeze gymnastics fans. “USAG’s policy is no medical is to be sent with fewer than three athletes at an international event.“, elaborates the Olympian’s post.

A communication gap was what made the decision an easy one for the four-time NCAA gold medalist. As per a document of the Senior Selection Committee from February 27, Curran can be seen to have been nominated for the Doha World Cup. But as the Stanford athlete drops out of the tournament, he won’t be the only one to be frustrated by the USAG’s restriction of providing medical assistance to the USA gymnasts.

Another national sensation gives the cold shoulder to Doha World Cup 2024

The February document also showed that Stephen Nedoroscik would be nominated to represent the national team at the Baku and Doha World Cup. The 2017 NCAA champ went on to win a gold at the Baku event but followed suit to Curran’s decision to stay away from the ongoing Doha leg of the series. Nedoroscik’s steady form and significant contribution to the national team scores over the years have made him a constant member of Team USA, but it seems like the Penn State athlete also didn’t want to push his luck too far with the 2024 Olympics offering honor and glory.

With the 2020 World Cup and 2021 World Championships gold winner Nedoroscik also pulling out along with Curran, the dire condition of the USAG’s infrastructure was once again laid bare for the fans. With the Paris Games only a few months away, it waits to be seen if the USA’s gymnastics authorities can pull up their socks or if they succumb to the entanglements of the red tape in the coming days.