Bluffton Olympics followers will have a special athlete to watch and to cheer for when the event unfolds in Tokyo from July 23 to Aug. 8.

Alec Yoder, grandson of Dr. Alan and Diann Yoder of Bluffton, is an official member of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team as he qualified on Saturday.

Alec is the son Mike and Rebecca Yoder of Indianapolis. Mike is a Bluffton HS graduate.

For more photos click here for Mark Yoder's Facebook.

Alec was chosen for the individual spot — new to this year’s Olympic program — and will vie for a pommel horse medal in Japan.

The Icon asked Dr. Mark Yoder of Bluffton, Alec’s uncle, to explain how all of this came together for his nephew, Alec:

The USA Olympic gymnastics squad comprises of 4 all-around athletes. That means they compete in all six events. Alec, however, is only competing in the parallel bars and the pommel horse, which he has been best at, being NCAA champion as well as national champion of this in the past.  

The USA has won the right to bring one specialist, an athlete who does not compete in all-around competition. The USA Olympic committee decided what specialty has a chance of winning a medal in Tokyo and they chose Alec based upon his pommel performance.

Here is his award resume.
2021 U.S. pommel horse silver medalist
2021 Winter Cup pommel horse champion and parallel bars bronze medalist
2020 Winter Cup pommel horse champion
2019 NCAA pommel horse champion (Ohio State)
Member of the 2018 World Championships Team
2018 U.S. pommel horse champion
2018 NCAA all-around bronze medalist (Ohio State)
2018 Winter Cup pommel horse champion and parallel bars silver medalist
2017 NCAA team silver medalist (Ohio State)
2016 NCAA pommel horse silver medalist and team bronze medalist (Ohio State)