Out gay gymnast Cooper Kim has a golden weekend at U.S. gymnastics championships
Stanford gymnast Cooper Kim, an out gay athlete, dazzled in the high bar at the U.S. gymnastics nationals and made the U.S. team in his quest for the Olympics.
Mark
Out gay gymnast Cooper Kim’s breakout year hit new highs on Saturday at the 2026 U.S. Championships, putting the Stanford University athlete one step closer to his Olympic dream.
Kim ended his night in Phoenix with a gold medal in high bar, a sixth-place finish in the all-around competition, a call-up to the 2026-27 U.S. men’s national team and a selection as an alternate for Team USA at the 2026 World Championships in October.
He also notched a fourth-place finish in floor exercise.
“I am so grateful and honored to be named a member of the U.S. Senior National Team, to be selected for the Paris World Challenge Cup, and to be named an alternate for the World Championships,” Kim wrote on Instagram.
“I also couldn’t be more proud of myself for continuing to accept myself for who I am and believing that I can truly accomplish amazing things. With every experience, I fall a little more in love with this sport and with life.”
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Cooper Kim won the NCAA national title in the floor exercise, and the team event with Stanford. He now comes out publicly as gay.
Kim’s high bar championship came in impressive fashion, dazzling judges and fans alike with his fluidity and release skill. He was the only competitor to score 15-plus points on both of his runs in the event, scoring a combined 30.936 to earn the top spot in the event.
This bevy of results comes only months after Kim secured an NCAA national championship in floor exercise, an NCAA bronze medal in high bar and played a key role in securing the team NCAA title for Stanford. Kim came out to his teammates as gay prior to the start of Stanford’s 2026 season.
Being named to the U.S. national team is also key in the 20-year-old’s push for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
With the national championships now in the rearview, Kim now turns his attention to the 2026 Paris World Challenge Cup. He will represent Team USA at the event alongside pommel horse specialist Brandon Dang and 2026 U.S. high bar bronze medalist Crew Bold in September.
Letvin happy with finish
The meet in Phoenix also featured two other out gay athletes. Michigan’s Charlie Larson was unable to compete in Day 2 of the men’s competition due to an injury. Meanwhile, Ben Letvin of the University of Minnesota finished 18th in the field of 42.
“It was a lot of fun,” Letvin told Outsports. “And I met all of my goals.”
The three out athletes also had fun, as they were all together as a trio for the first time.
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