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U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Patrick Hoopes won bronze on pommel horse at the World Gymnastics Championships in Indonesia last week. It was a lifelong dream he had been working toward, along with his contributions to military service, since he began playing sports at just two years old.
“It was amazing. There are three big things that a gymnast growing up in the US wants to compete in: the US Championships, the Olympics and then the World Championships. So it was like a big dream come true,” Hoopes told Pak Gazette Digital.
“I remember the whole time thinking there were a couple of little mistakes that I could already feel, that I know I made, but when I went through the whole routine, I came down, greeted the judges, started the routine and I was so excited… when the last competitor left and I saw that I was third, I thought ‘this is crazy’. World medalist is a title I didn’t think I would get as a kid.”
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Patrick Hoopes of Team USA competes in the men’s pommel horse apparatus final on day six of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the Indonesia Arena on October 24, 2025, in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
But not everything was victory in Indonesia.
Throughout the week, Hoopes learned of a controversial situation that was casting a shadow over the competition around the world.
The host country’s government denied visas to all athletes on Team Israel, preventing them from competing. The Indonesian government cited security concerns amid possible protests by locals and the war in Gaza for barring entry to Israeli gymnasts.
“A lot of people were, I don’t know if they were upset, but they were pretty bummed that Israel wasn’t going to be there. I mean, everyone there understands the work they’ve put in to get to that point and be able to perform at the World Championships, and for an athlete from any country to be denied that for reasons beyond their control is always a pretty disappointing story to hear,” Hoopes said.
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(Left) Team Israel competes during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Group All-Around Final on Day 15 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Porte de La Chapelle Stadium in Paris, France, on August 10, 2024. (Right) Activists who are members of the “Indonesian Global Peace Convoy” hold a demonstration in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 3 October 2025. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images; Aditya Irawan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Indonesia’s denial of visas to Israelis sparked an international backlash, with the International Olympic Committee even stepping in to condemn the decision in a statement, and later ending all discussions with the country over hosting future Olympics. The IOC also recommended that international sporting events not be held in Indonesia.
Indonesian Sports Minister Erick Thohir defended his country’s decision last week, saying: “We adhere to the principle of maintaining security, public order and public interest when hosting every international event.”
Hoopes empathized with the Israeli gymnasts and expressed his support for them and the work they put in for the competition.
“For the athletes themselves who aren’t working directly with what’s happening on that side of their country, to be punished for what was happening, especially after putting all that work into their training and trying to get ready for this competition. I know that if that happened to me, if it was a week earlier, and I had been training and putting in all this effort and preparing, and to have that opportunity taken away from me, I think it’s very, very sad,” Hoopes said.
“It’s sad that these athletes haven’t had the opportunity to shine.”
Patrick Hoopes of the United States reacts after competing in the men’s pommel horse final at the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta on October 24, 2025. (Yasuyoshi CHIBA/AFP)
Hoopes hopes to compete alongside Team Israel gymnasts at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, while focusing her attention on achieving her next goal between her military service, the Military World Games in North Carolina in 2027, and the upcoming World Championships in the coming years.
