The 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships promised a showcase of Olympic-level talent in New Orleans, yet the stands inside the Smoothie King Center told a different story. Despite the presence of four members from the historic medal-winning men’s team in Paris, swaths of empty seats stood out more than the routines on the floor. Even with the women’s field featuring Hezly Rivera aiming to rebound from a difficult U.S. Classic, large sections of the arena remained unoccupied. The atmosphere, captured in photographs posted by Inside Gymnastics Magazine, revealed a turnout far below expectations for a national event of this magnitude.
The Smoothie King Center holds nearly 18,000 spectators, but attendance appeared to hover around 20 to 30 percent of capacity. Fans were scattered in small clusters, and the usual hum of anticipation at such events was noticeably absent. The magazine’s caption underscored the disappointment: “Unfortunately, attendance in New Orleans throughout the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships has been disappointing… the crowd is quite sparse.” For many observers, this was a frustrating reality, particularly with athletes of this caliber performing on a Saturday night.
Jonathan Horton, a two-time Olympian and two-time U.S. National All-Around Champion, did not watch the situation in silence. Known for his silver medal on horizontal bar and team bronze from Beijing 2008, as well as his 17 national medals, Horton addressed what he views as a straightforward solution to the problem. “Make tickets $15-$20 a piece and get people in the seats,” he said. “That’s a simple thing to do and will get people excited about seeing the sport.” His call for accessible pricing resonated with those who believe the sport’s national events should be more inclusive for families, casual fans, and the local community.
The low turnout has been attributed to two key issues: a lack of public awareness about the event and ticket costs that some potential attendees deemed too high. Several fans have shared that they either never saw promotional campaigns or found the pricing too steep to attend. Horton’s suggestion stands in contrast to more complex strategies, instead focusing on an immediate, actionable change that could encourage higher attendance for future championships.
With athletes like Stephen Nedoroscik, who helped end the United States’ Olympic drought, performing alongside rising women’s stars, the empty stands have drawn a sharper spotlight on event planning and outreach. Horton’s remarks have amplified a conversation about the sport’s accessibility at the domestic level. Whether organizers will act on such direct feedback remains to be seen, but the message from the veteran gymnast is clear: if you want full stands, make it possible for people to fill them.
Asher Hong and Hezly Rivera shine as Xfinity Championships play to sparse crowd
The performances on the floor of the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans were executed with precision and conviction, yet the scale of attendance did not reflect the caliber of the competition. Asher Hong and Hezly Rivera, both widely regarded as leaders in their respective divisions, delivered routines that would have stood as highlights in any arena. Rivera produced the evening’s highest score on balance beam, pairing it with a strong floor exercise to secure her position atop the senior women’s standings. Hong, commanding the senior men’s field, finished with a decisive lead in the all-around, supplemented by gold medals on three apparatus.
Paris 2024 Olympics – Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s Qualification – Subdivision 2 – Bercy Arena, Paris, France – July 28, 2024. Hezly Rivera of United States reacts after performing on the balance beam. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
Despite the quality of their work, the stands appeared far from filled. The atmosphere, though supportive, lacked the density and collective presence that typically accompany national titles and Olympic medalists in action. The absence of a full crowd was particularly striking given the number of accomplished athletes on the roster, from Olympic team members to national champions. The competitions proceeded with the same discipline and technical scrutiny expected at this level, yet one could not ignore the emptiness in sections of seating that in prior years were densely occupied.
For those present, the details were unmistakable. Rivera’s 14.350 on beam, Hong’s near-eight-point winning margin in the all-around, and the tightly contested apparatus battles all unfolded without interruption. The applause that followed each routine was sincere, but it echoed more than it resonated. In a setting designed for spectacle, the imbalance between performance and attendance left an impression nearly as strong as the athletic results themselves. The Championships concluded for the day with results firmly decided, but with a lingering sense that more had been achieved on the floor than had been appreciated from the stands.
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