American gymnast Paul Juda has spent most of his career in the background. Not at the Olympics

PARIS (AP) — Paul Juda long has let himself dream. Just never too big. It's safer that way.

Besides, wasn't he dreaming big enough when the American gymnast wrote down “compete in the all-around at the Olympics" on the whiteboard in his apartment near the University of Michigan campus?

Turns out, apparently not.

When the 23-year-old returns to Michigan next month, he'll have to pull out that whiteboard and grab an eraser after the athlete who has spent most of his career ceding the spotlight to others grabbed a piece of it during qualifying at Bercy Arena on Saturday.

Tasked with serving as the leadoff on five of the six events for the five-man American team — a spot reserved for gymnasts known more for their consistency and reliability than anything — Juda put together an all-around total of 82.865 that was good enough to earn a berth in the all-around finals next week.

“I think today could have been one of those things where I got to say, ‘I did all- around at the Olympics’ (and that's it),” Juda said. “But then to hopefully be making an all-around final, I think that’s the cooler thing."

A thing Juda wondered whether he has been worthy of during a career that's seen him help the U.S. win a team bronze at the 2023 world championships and claim the 2022 NCAA all-around title while navigating what he's called “the darkest pits,” times when his self-confidence disappears, replaced by doubt that can be difficult to shake.

There was a time earlier this year when reaching Paris seemed like a long shot. The native of the northern Chicago suburbs went through a stretch where his gymnastics were “horrible” and he pondered shifting his focus away from making the Olympic team.

A pep talk from girlfriend Reyna Guggino helped him turn things around. She told him it was OK to make the Olympics a priority. To attack the opportunity rather than shrink from it.

And there was Guggino, also a gymnast at Michigan, yelling from the stands on Saturday as Juda put together six routines that weren't the best gymnastics of his life but were good enough to earn the second American spot in the all-around after three-time national champion Brody Malone faltered.

Juda called Malone the “captain of the ship" even on a day when he fell twice on high bar and once on pommel horse.

“Of course I'm upset with myself,” Malone said. “But at the same time, I'm extremely happy for Fred and Paul. I know they're going to crush it.”

Even if the definition of “crushing it” differs for the two Michigan teammates. Richard, 20, is the reigning bronze medalist on the all-around who mixes big skills with a big personality.

Juda is more measured. High performance director Brett McClure put Juda in the leadoff spot because his gymnastics are a little safer, with the idea being that if Juda avoids mistakes it will provide a solid foundation that allows those who come after a little more freedom to go for it.

“He wanted to go up with a hit routine and kind of set the momentum for everybody else,” McClure said. “So he did his job.”

Juda did it so well he sensed that by the time he got to floor exercise, his final event, a spot in the all-around finals was in the offing. He thrust his arms into the air after his dismount and tried to soak in a moment he's not sure he ever saw coming.

When Juda heard his name called as one of the top performers during the opening subdivision, he joked “it's going to be a long week” because his meet will extend beyond Monday's team final.

He won't be favored to finish on the podium. He knows that. His scores have a ceiling. It hardly matters. He will compete in the biggest meet of his life in front of friends and family who have backed him every step of the way.

“People would kill for that,” he said. “And so I'm just like, going to try and enjoy it as much as possible because I know if it wasn’t me, somebody else would do it.”

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games