Air Force gymnast who won World Championships medal defends Israeli gymnasts barred by Indonesia

Air Force second lieutenant Patrick Hoopes talks to Fox News Digital about winning a medal for the U.S. at the World Gymnastics Championships and speaks out in defense of the Israeli athletes who weren't allowed to enter Indonesia to compete.

U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Patrick Hoopes won bronze in pommel horse at the World Gymnastics Championships in Indonesia last week. It was a lifelong dream that he had been working toward, alongside his military service contributions, since he began the sport at just 2 years old. 

"It was so amazing. There's kind of three big things a gymnast growing up in the U.S. wants to compete in; U.S. championships, the Olympics and then World Championships. So it was kind of a big dream come true," Hoopes told Fox News Digital. 

"I remember the whole time thinking there were a couple of small errors that I could feel already, that I know I did, but when I made it through the whole routine, I came down, saluted the judges, hit routine, and was really excited … when the final competitor went, and I saw that I was third I was just like ‘this is wild.’ World medalist is a title that I didn't think I'd get growing up."

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Patrick Hoopes of Team United States competes in the Men's pommel horse apparatus final on day six of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Indonesia Arena on Oct. 24, 2025, in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

But it wasn't all win in Indonesia. 

Throughout the week, Hoopes had learned of a controversial situation that overshadowed the competition across the world. 

The host nation's government denied visas to all of Team Israel's athletes, barring them from competing. The Indonesian government cited safety