Brody Malone, Sam Mikulak headline U.S. men's gymnastics team for Tokyo

When the U.S. men's gymnastics team takes to the floor at next month's Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, it will be a mix of veteran athletes and rising stars.

On one hand, there's Sam Mikulak for whom Tokyo in 2021 will be a third trip to the Olympic Games. On the other, recently crowned U.S. champion Brody Malone had never competed at senior national championships until he won that meet three weeks ago. They'll be joined Yul Moldauer, the 2017 U.S. champion, and Shane Wiskus.

Malone was the highest finisher Saturday (26 June) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for gymnastics in St. Louis, automatically securing his ticket to Tokyo with a two-day score of 171.600. Moldauer by virtue of his second-place all-around finish (and three top three apparatus finishess) also locked his spot with a score of 168.600. Wiskus (168.150) and Mikulak (166.750) finished third and fourth, respectively.

This U.S. will also send Alec Yoder to Tokyo, utilizing an additional quota spot earned at the recent Pan American Championships.

A mix of experience

Malone led the entire day Saturday (26 June) and after his final vault knew he was headed to the Olympic Games.

"I remember so much was going through my head. I was just so thankful to my coaches. I think I went up to them and hugged them and told them, 'thank you for everything you've done for me,'" said Malone. "That was pretty much all that was going through my head, I guess, being super grateful to them for what they've done for me."

Though he won back-to-back NCAA team and all-around titles in 2019 and 2021, Malone's last international competition was a junior event back in 2018. He's never competed as a senior outside the United States.

"I like to take it one meet at a time and not think about the outcome of anything," he said of his competitive mindset, regardless of setting.

But he'll have guidance from veterans Mikulak and Moldauer, who have anchored the U.S. men's team since the Rio Olympics.

"I think the advice I will offer to Brody is to downplay the situation," Mikulak said. "Don't put the weight of the world on your shoulders. Be yourself. Don't be afraid of what everyone else is expecting of you. Go and just do what you know how to do, and do it with your own style. I wish I had been told that when I was in his shoes at that age."

Moldauer says there's not much to say to Malone, who was cool and collected both days of competition.

"I trust Brody, you know. He looked amazing tonight," said Moldauer, "and Olympic trials, in some perspectives, can be harder than the Olympics. So, you know, seeing him rise to the occasion, especially at his first trials, that's amazing to see."

Overcoming it all

Mikulak, the first U.S. gymnast to go to three-straight Games since Blaine Wilson competed at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, has faced an uphill battle to make his third Olympic team. He missed about six weeks of training at the end of 2020 after having to quarantine due to a close contact with COVID-19 and a recurring issue with his elbow has hampered his preparation, as well.

"This has been the hardest year to make [the Olympic team] ever for my life," said Mikulak. "I'd say for that reason, it means the most coming through a lot of mental health struggles, being able to feel like everything that I did leading up to this moment was worth it."

A 2019 World team member, Wiskus had to overcome the cutting of his University of Minnesota men's gymnastics team and a forced cross-country move to train, and then a disastrous final routine on the high bar at the U.S. championships three weeks ago. He had no such issues, soaring through the air on spectacular catch and release moves.

"It's just been a crazy year, and you just can't make this stuff up," Wiskus said of the many obstacles he's faced this year. "I still really haven't had time to process it. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

Yoder swings to Tokyo

2014 Youth Olympics all-around bronze medallist Yoder is headed to the Olympic Games as a pommel horse specialist. While the four-man team seemed clear, Yoder's selection was between fellow pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik and rings specialist Alex Diab.

"I was really scared," Yoder said of the wait to hear his name called. "I had a really, really good routine day one and I think day two was a little more wobbly. I was pretty nervous."

Both Yoder and Diab, won their events at the trials but high performance director Brett McClure said it was Yoder's difficulty score that separated him from the pack.

"It was such a tough discussion," McClure said.

Yoder has displayed incredible poise throughout the entire 2021 season, hitting all six routines he's performed this year, including two during the pressure-packed competition in St. Louis.

"I think pressure is what you feel when you're unprepared, I don't look at these moments as pressure, I look at them as opportunity," said Yoder. "I think if you look at it as pressure, that can be debilitating.

"In a moment like that," he continued, "I've dreamed of that routine my entire life. If I'm sitting there and I'm overcome by the pressure, then that means that I haven't done my job in preparing for this moment. There's no feeling like it... your back is against the wall. You've got nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It's insane. But that's why you put in the work. That's why you grind every day and you prepare for moments like this so that when you show up to a moment like this, it's never too big."