Bower to Represent U.S. at World Cup in Germany

NORMAN – University of Oklahoma men's gymnastics senior Allan Bower will represent the United States on Sunday as he competes as part of an elite international field, at the World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany. The meet is slated for a 6:30 a.m. CT start inside Porsche Arena.

Bower earned his opportunity to wear red, white and blue by virtue of his third-place finish at the 2017 Winter Cup. Always consistent and well-rounded, he finished in third with a two-day mark of 169.900 in the all-around and placed in the top seven on every event and in the top five on four events. He put up his best marks on pommel horse (29.350, third) rings (28.900, fifth) and vault (28.900, fifth).

Bower, who will miss the Sooners' Saturday meet with No. 4 Illinois, was also a member of the U.S. Senior National Team in 2015 as a sophomore. His presence in the nine-man field continues the Sooners' year of international success. Two weeks ago sophomore Yul Moldauer won the 2017 American Cup with an all-around score of 85.931. He bested 2016 Olympic silver medalist Oleg Vernlaiev of Ukraine (second) and fellow American and NCAA gymnast Akash Modi (third). Currently seven of the 15 members of the U.S. Senior National Team are Sooners, including three current Sooners—Bower, junior Hunter Justus and Moldauer.

The World Cup is part of the International Gymnastics Federation World Cup series. The competition is the first of many international events leading up to the World Championships and eventually the 2020 Olympic Games.

NBCSN will televise coverage of the men's competition on March 20 at 10 p.m. CT. Fans can catch the action live via NBC Sports online at NBCSports.com/Live, or through the NBC Sports app.