Alec Yoder wasn\u2019t planning to be in Tokyo for the Summer Olympics. He was initially left off the national team, due to knee pain that \u2026<\/b>
\nAlec Yoder wasn\u2019t planning to be in Tokyo for the Summer Olympics. He was initially left off the national team, due to knee pain that limited his ability to take part in all six events. But a rule change allowed for specialists. Now he\u2019s got a shot at medaling. The gymnast from Indiana advanced to Sunday\u2019s final in the pommel horse after finishing fourth in qualifications. \u201cIf I make an Olympic final, I\u2019m not swinging to get fourth,\u201d he told the Indianapolis Star before the Games. \u201cI\u2019m going to swing, and I\u2019m going to swing to be perfect. I\u2019m going to do everything I can to win an Olympic medal. I\u2019m looking for a great routine, not a good one. \u201cI know I\u2019m on a good trajectory. I feel the best I\u2019ve ever been.\u201d Yoder recorded a 15.20 score, which was good for fourth overall. His execution score of 8.80 was second. Lee Chih Kai of Chinese Tapei place first with a score of 15.266. The final is early Sunday morning. The 24-year-old won the pommel horse at the 2020 and 2021 Winer Cups, but until the rule change, he wasn\u2019t named to the national team. Without the $2,000 a month stipend, he had to work for DoorDash to pay rent and use some of his savings. \u201cIn my mind, the end goal was, I was going to make the Olympic team,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I\u2019m at a job for seven or eight hours a day, it\u2019s not going to work out. I bunkered down and tried to do everything I could to salvage as much as I could. \u201cI never joined this sport to get rich. If I go broke trying to make the Olympic Games, it\u2019s all good with me.\u201d<\/p>\n