Gay gymnast Ben Letvin ‘really excited’ to compete for Cal in final year of eligibility
Ben Letvin, an out gymnast in Minnesota, announced that he has committed to Cal to complete his final year of eligibility.
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For gymnast Ben Letvin, being able to compete while pursuing higher education was a dream that became a reality when he announced he was going to grad school at Cal Berkeley in the fall of 2027 and also compete for the Bears’ gymnastics team.
“I’m really excited to be able to continue my collegiate athletic career and be able to compete in the NCAA,” Letvin told Outsports. “The group of guys there and coaches are amazing and their program has a lot going for them right now.”
Letvin, who is gay, competes for the University of Minnesota, which is part of GymACT, a group of teams without NCAA affiliation. He will compete for Minnesota this season in his senior year and then transfer to Cal for grad school. Cal competes in NCAA Division I and its men’s team sent nine gymnasts to nationals this spring.
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Ben Letvin has been a star for the University of Minnesota’s gymnastics team as an out LGBTQ athlete. ‘The ability to be yourself in your routines is the most important thing to me,’ he says.
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Letvin had a 2025-26 season to remember at Minnesota, winning two individual titles and finishing second in a third category at the GymACT National Championships in Oklahoma City. He was also chosen as Minnesota’s Most Valuable Gymnast.
He has also blossomed as an out athlete, leaning more into artistry on the mat as he grew more comfortable with himself.
“When I went to college, Jude Norris [an openly queer gymnast] was on the team, and I saw who he was, and I saw how he was good and he was himself, and I really admired that, and he became my best friend,” Letvin told Outsports as part of our Campus Courage series. “That was really important to me because he showed me what I could be.”
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At Cal, Letvin will be part of an LGBTQ legacy that includes Graham Ackerman, who won the national championship in the floor exercise at the 2005 men’s collegiate gymnastics championships. It was Ackerman’s second consecutive national title.
Among those congratulating Letvin on his Cal commitment was Cooper Kim, a Stanford gymnast who is also gay. “YES BENNN WELCOME TO THE BAY,” Kim wrote on Instagram. The two became fast friends after each competed at the U.S. Nationals this summer. Cal and Stanford are about 40 miles from each other.
Letvin has applied to Cal’s masters of engineering in sustainability and resiliency engineering programs.
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