There are comebacks and then there’s this. Just a year ago, Joshua Andrew Karnes was sitting out the biggest opportunity of his career. A concussion, suffered just before the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, forced him to withdraw and watch from the sidelines as Team USA headed to Paris without him. For most athletes, that kind of moment stings for a lifetime. But not for Karnes. He returned, not with regret, but with purpose. And now, at the 2025 Pan American Gymnastics Championships in Panama, he’s making the noise he was denied last year, not just returning, but leading the entire continent.

Karnes currently sits #1 in the senior men’s All-Around standings in Subdivision 1 on the 11th of June, with a phenomenal score of 79.900, putting him ahead of teammates Taylor Christopulos (78.250) and Junnosuke Iwai (75.350) and leading Team USA to a dominant team total of 241.950. His impact hasn’t just been on the scoreboard; he’s been essential across multiple events, including pommel horse, parallel bars, and high bar.

A Penn State standout and former NCAA All-American, Karnes is showing that hunger can take you from heartbreak to hero in just 12 months. He’s not just performing; he’s carrying the team’s momentum on his back. And while Team USA shines, the competition is heating up. Guatemala’s Jaycko Bourdet Aguilar has broken into 4th place with a score of 72.950, while Chile’s Pablo Figueroa (67.150) holds his own in 7th. Yet no one has matched the power that Karnes brings.

This is the same gymnastics star who dominated the NCAA in 2023, becoming National Champion on Parallel Bars for Penn State with a routine full of sharp execution and elite difficulty. He followed it up with a 2024 NCAA bronze, showing he’s not a one-season wonder. Add in his multiple All-American honors, and it’s clear: Karnes isn’t a fluke—he’s the real deal. His routines speak louder than any medal could, especially after a year where his voice was nearly silenced by injury.

With the 2025 World Championships ahead and Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, Karnes is suddenly not just a hopeful; he’s a leader. And if his Pan Am performance is any indication, he’s only just getting started. But here’s the twist: just an hour before the event began, doubt loomed large. No one was sure if even Team USA could hold it together. So what changed in that final stretch? Something major.

Team USA gymnastics men dig deep in Pan Am shake-up

Just an hour before the 2025 Pan American Championships kicked off in Panama City, Team USA was hit with a shocker. Asher Hong, Stanford standout, World Championship medalist, and the core of the U.S. strategy, was suddenly ruled out due to illness. Just a sudden withdrawal that left a gaping hole in the lineup.

Hong was scheduled to compete in every single event: floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar. His absence wasn’t just a loss; it was a crisis. For a moment, it seemed almost impossible for the American men to regroup in time, especially with rising competition from Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala breathing down their necks in gymnastics.

Enter Jun Iwai. At just 18 years old, he was the official alternate until he wasn’t. Thrust into the spotlight with barely any prep time, Jun went from backup to all-around anchor in a matter of minutes. While he doesn’t carry Hong’s medal tally (yet), Jun is no stranger to pressure. He’s already claimed gold at the 2024 Junior Elite Team Cup and international medals on floor and high bar.

Still, stepping into six events on short notice at one of the year’s biggest meets? That’s a tall order. Coaches scrambled to adjust routines, shift rotations, and pray that the new lineup could hold together under the weight of the moment. And then, the unexpected happened: Team USA rallied.  What started as a potential disaster turned into a gritty, high-pressure showcase of resilience and depth.

The Team USA gymnastics team didn’t just survive; they competed like champions. If this is how they respond to a last-minute curveball, the road to Jakarta and LA 2028 might be even more exciting than we thought.