Chapter 7Saturday was the men’s team qualifier. The TQ determined which countries moved forward into the team finals and which athletes would compete for all-around and individual medals. Scoring well in every rotation, rings, pommel horse, vault, parallel bars, horizontal bar, and floor, Ben qualified on four. He’d also earned a shot at all-around.
The competition not yet over, Richie Stoker, sometimes referred to as “d**k Stroker” by his buds—his parents really should have thought of that before naming him—was the last one on the floor.
“Go, Rich!” Having cemented his status as the top gymnast in the US, possibly the world, now, Ben could sit back, relax some, and maybe even think about his secret admirer. “Yeah! Nice!”
When Richie, toward the end of his routine, grabbed his ankle and
