NEW ORLEANS – Illinois junior Brandon Dang earned a spot on both the U.S. Senior National Team and the U.S. Senior World Championships Team, UAS Gymnastics announced, following his runner-up finish on pommel horse at the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Championships on Saturday.
Dang is the first Illini to represent the United States at the World Championships since Alex Diab in 2021, when the Illinois alum competed at the World Championships in Japan.
"Brandon has been building for this moment for the last three years," said head coach Daniel Ribeiro. "On his recruiting trip, we talked about the importance of 2025 Worlds in his pursuit of the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Three years of work, growth, successes, and failures have led Brandon to this moment. We are so proud of him and can't wait to watch him represent the U.S. on the global stage."
Dang will be joined on Team USA by Asher Hong, Patrick Hoopes, Brody Malone, Kameron Nelson, and Donnell Whittenburg at the World Championships, which are set for Oct. 19-25 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Dang looks to become the first U.S. men's gymnast to medal on pommel horse at the international competition since 2023, when Khoi Young won silver in the event.Â
The California native is no stranger to representing the United States internationally, as he helped the U.S. claim the gold medal at the 2025 Pan American Championships in June while also winning gold on pommel horse. He has also taken part in three FIG World Cup events in 2025, including a first-place finish in his Team USA debut at the 2025 Baku World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan in March.
Illinois junior Preston Ngai, who finished in fourth place on pommel horse at the U.S. Championships, was named to the U.S. Senior National Development Team.
