2026 U.S. Championships: Picking the Men's Worlds Team

Note: This article reflects information as of August 6, 2026. The 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships (officially the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships) run from August 6–9 in Phoenix, Arizona. The event doubles as the selection meet for the American men's team heading to October's World Championships in Rotterdam, with Pari

s Olympic medalists Frederick Richard and Stephen Nedoroscik among those chasing five roster spots. This piece explains the selection mechanics rarely covered in Japanese media, plus a D-score view of the five-man team format.

The 2026 U.S. Championships: When, Where, and What's at Stake

Dates and venue

The 2026 U.S. Championships take place August 6 (Thu) through 9 (Sun) at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. Senior men compete on Day 1 (Aug 6) and Day 2 (Aug 8), with placements decided by the two-day total (USA Gymnastics). Roughly fifty senior men are entered, alongside a junior field. NBC and Peacock carry the senior sessions in the U.S. (NBC Sports).

A qualifying meet for Rotterdam

The meet's biggest purpose is to set the American men's team for the World Championships in Rotterdam (October 17–25). The U.S. has already secured a team berth via Pan American qualifying, so this weekend is about choosing the

five. The world team is expected to be named immediately after Saturday's finals (Forbes).

If you want to check routine difficulty (D-scores) yourself, the Gymnastics AI D-score calculator is handy: built on the FIG 2025–2028 Code of Points with a database of 790+ skills. For Japan's roster picture, see our 2026 Japan men's team preview.

The Rules That Decide the Worlds Team

The all-around champion's conditional first spot

The most distinctive feature is that even the national all-around champion is not automatically on the team. The AA winner earns the first of five spots only if he also places top three on at least three of the six apparatus ( >NBC Sports

). Versatility, not just an AA title, is required.