Gymnastics career
2013–2021: Representing the United States
In 2013, Penev officially switched his nationality to represent the United States in international competitions. [3] He competed at the 2013 Winter Cup where he won the vault title. As a result, he was added to the United States national team for the first time. [6] He made his international debut for the United States at the Anadia World Cup where he finished sixth on floor exercise. [7] He competed at his first U.S. National Championships that year where he placed second on vault and was named to the United States national team. [8]
At the 2014 Winter Cup, Penev co-won the event titles on floor exercise and vault. [9] At the Anadia World Challenge Cup, he won gold medals on floor exercise and vault. [10] Penev was named to the team to compete at the 2014 Pan American Championships where he helped the USA win gold. [11] However, while vaulting Penev tore his ACL. [1]
In 2016, Penev competed at the Pacific Rim Championships where he helped the USA win gold as a team. Individually he won gold on vault and silver on floor exercise behind teammate Jake Dalton. [12] Penev competed at the 2016 Olympic Trials where he placed second on floor exercise; however he was not named to the Olympic team. [13]
Penev was selected to compete at the 2017 World Championships, his first World Championships representing the United States. During the qualification round, he finished sixth on floor exercise but did not qualify for the final due to teammates Yul Moldauer and Donnell Whittenburg scoring higher. He was, however, the second reserve for the vault final. [14] During the summer of 2018, Penev suffered his second ACL tear. [1]
In 2021, Penev qualified to compete at the postponed-2020 Olympic Trials; however, while competing at a mock meet at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, Penev tore his ACL for the third time in seven years. [15]
2023–present: Return to Bulgaria
In early 2023, the International Gymnastics Federation approved Penev's nationality change request, allowing him to once again represent Bulgaria in international competition. [16] He immediately competed at various World Cups, winning gold medals on floor exercise in Varna and Osijek, and winning silver in Szombathely.
In 2024, Penev attempted to qualify for the Olympic Games via the World Cup circuit. He won bronze on floor exercise in Cairo and placed fourth in Baku. However, he had to withdraw from the Doha World Cup due to a shoulder injury. [17]
Penev competed at various World Cups in the 2025 season. At the Varna World Challenge Cup, he won gold on floor exercise and bronze on vault. [18]
NCAA gymnastics career
Penev began competing for the Stanford Cardinal in 2010. [4] During his freshman season, he won the NCAA vault title. [19] At the 2012 NCAA Championships, he won the titles on both floor exercise and vault. [20]
Penev was awarded the Nissen-Emery Award in 2013, the highest honor for a senior collegiate gymnast. [21] [22]
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