World medalists Sam Mikulak and Yul Moldauer headline the five-man U.S. gymnastics team for next month’s world championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
The roster, which also includes Akash Modi, Trevor Howard and Shane Wiskus, was named after a selection camp. Mikulak automatically qualified via his combined scores from the U.S. Championships in August and the camp.
The other four gymnasts were chosen by a committee.
They will be tasked with ending the program’s longest global meet team medal drought of the millennium. The U.S. men last earned a world championships medal in 2014 (bronze). They were fifth at the last two Olympics despite placing first and second in qualifying. They were fourth at last year’s worlds behind powers China, Japan and Russia.
A look at the five men going to Stuttgart ...
Sam Mikulak
Mikulak has been the top U.S. male gymnast since 2013, winning six U.S. all-around titles, the most in the last 50 years. He is the lone Olympian still competing these days and so valuable that, last year, he was tasked with performing on all six apparatuses in the world team final for the first time. Mikulak finally earned his first world medal last year (high bar bronze), but he yearns for more. A world all-around medal is not out of reach.
Yul Moldauer
The only other man on this team with a U.S. all-around title (from 2017, when Mikulak was injured) or a world medal (floor exercise bronze in 2017). The former NCAA all-around champion from Oklahoma is now embarking on his post-collegiate career, but injuries dogged him the last two summers. If Mikulak is the MVP of this program, Moldauer is its Scottie Pippen at the moment.
Akash Modi
The Rio Olympic alternate earned his place on the team by placing third in the all-around at nationals and second to Mikulak at last week’s selection camp. Modi, who debuted at worlds in 2018, can contribute across many events, which may boost his stock come next year when the teams for the Olympics are just four men.
Trevor Howard
Howard, at 26, is on the older end of gymnasts to make his first world team. He has been competing at the senior national level since 2011, but never better than fifth in the all-around. Why this year? Howard has established himself as a force on still rings, where the U.S. lost the most ground in the 2018 World team final.
Shane Wiskus
Wiskus, the youngest member of the team at 20, is the NCAA all-around silver medalist from Minnesota. He may be better known for this crazy high bar save at nationals. He may be needed on high bar, which in the last few years has gone from a strength to a concern for the U.S. Wiskus has the kind of difficulty to be an asset there, but can he execute at the biggest meet of his life?
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