Ruben Padilla
American trampoline gymnast
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Ruben Padilla OLY (born January 5, 2001) is an American trampoline gymnast. He has won eight senior national titles across three disciplines (double-mini, trampoline, and synchronized trampoline) and three World Championships on double-mini and was named alternate to the 2024 Olympics for men's trampoline.
represented
United States (2014-present)
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | January 5, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gymnastics career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Trampoline gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented | United States (2014-present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Wasatch Trampoline and Tumbling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Sven Nielsen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach(es) | Yoshi Nakayama | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
Padilla became a senior national team member in 2018 and competed at his first world championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the 2018 Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships where he won a silver medal in the men's double-mini event.[1]
In 2019, he won a bronze medal in the men's individual event at the 2019 Pan American Games.[2] He then went on to complete a hat trick when he again won the men's double-mini silver medal alongside a silver double-mini team medal, and an all-around team silver medal at the 2019 Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships.[3]
In 2021, he competed in the 2021 Pan American Gymnastics Championships in Brazil and won gold medals in the 17-21 age group and the senior-level synchronized (with partner Cody Gesuelli) trampoline competitions and was a member of the first-place U.S. gymnastics team.[4]
He competed in the men's double-mini trampoline event at the 2022 World Games, and finished fourth. Then, at the 2022 Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships, he won a gold medal in men's double-mini, a silver medal in the all-around team, and a bronze medal in the double-mini team event.[5]
Padilla defended his double-mini title at the 2023 Trampoline World Championships in Birmingham, England and once again won gold in individual men's double-mini, alongside a silver medal in synchronized trampoline with partner Aliaksei Shostak, and a double-mini team gold.[6][7][8]
In 2024, he won triple gold at the USAG championships held in Minneapolis, MN, winning men's individual trampoline, men's synchronized trampoline with partner Aliaksei Shostak, and the men's double-mini competition. Additionally, he was named as the alternate to the Olympic Games for men's trampoline.[9]
In 2025, Padilla had a strong World Cup season, winning the double-mini events in Riccione (ITA)[10] and Coimbra (POR), where he performed a triple pike, quad back tuck to set a world difficulty record of 13.9. Owing to his victories in Riccione and Coimbra, he also won the 2025 FIG Trampoline World Cup Series in double mini-trampoline.[11] He placed third in Individual and Synchro with partner Ryan Maccagnan in Varna (BUL),[12] and later won both Individual and Synchro in Antibes (FRA).[13] Padilla competed in the double-mini event at the 2025 World Games, finishing fifth.[14] Later that year, he successfully defended his double-mini title at the World Championships in Pamplona, claiming the world title for the third consecutive time,[15] as well as winning gold in the double-mini team event for the second consecutive time[16] and silver in the individual trampoline.[17]
World Cup results
| World Cup | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Place | Medal | Event |
| 2023 | Coimbra, Portugal |  Gold |
Synchro |
| 2023 | Coimbra, Portugal | Gold |
Double Mini |
| 2024 | Palm Beach, FL, USA |  Silver |
Double Mini |
| 2024 | Coimbra, Portugal | Silver |
Synchro |
| 2025 | Riccione, Italy | Gold |
Double Mini |
| 2025 | Coimbra, Portugal | Gold |
Double Mini |
| 2025 | Varna, Bulgaria |  Bronze |
Individual |
| 2025 | Varna, Bulgaria | Bronze |
Synchro |
| 2025 | Antibes, France | Gold |
Individual |
| 2025 | Antibes, France | Gold |
Synchro |
Personal
Padilla was born in Oakley, California; his parents are Nelia and Jerry Padilla. He started his gymnastics career at the age of 5 when his mother enrolled him in artistic gymnastics classes in a bid to stop him from jumping on the furniture at home.[4] Since 2017, he has trained at Wasatch Trampoline and Tumbling in Draper, UT, where he also works as a coach.[6]
He was named the 2020 Double-Mini Athlete of the Year by USA Gymnastics and was again honored with that award in 2024.[6][9]
