Q&A: Gym U on Display in Doha

Of the six gymnasts that were selected to the Team USA World Championships squad that will begin competition in Doha, Qatar, starting Friday, three are current or former University of Oklahoma gymnasts. Current senior Yul Moldauer and 2017 graduates Colin Van Wicklen and Allan Bower were selected to the team following a selection camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in September.

Moldauer will be competing in his second World Championship after taking bronze on floor and seventh in the all-around last year in Montreal. Van Wicklen and Bower will be making their first Worlds appearance for Team USA. Bower is serving as the traveling alternate to the five-man competition squad. With a team medal finish at the World Championships, countries qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The three recently took time to talk about their preparations and mindset before heading to Doha, the site for the 2018 World Championships held Oct. 25-Nov. 3.

YUL MOLDAUER

What's your workload been like this summer and fall, having to simultaneously juggle NCAA practice, World Championships preparation and taking classes?

It hasn't been bad, but it hasn't been easy. Thankfully, the school has helped me a lot. They help me set up my classes, the teachers are very understanding, and I have a great coaching staff that knows what schedule I need to be on to be successful in school, in the NCAA and for the U.S. I couldn't do it on my own. I want to say thanks to Mark (Williams), Chris (Brooks) Josh (Yee), all my teachers, (academic advisor) James Troxel and the university.

How's your health after competing so much this summer?

It's good, it's great. I'm just eager to go. I hope the rest of the team is feeling that way because the more eager you are, the more prepared you feel.

How excited are you to compete with this World Championships team with guys that you've competed against in NCAA competition?

I think it's going to be really fun. You know, we've all grown up together and split our ways for separate colleges but now we get to come together and compete with each other and compete for this country. I think it's going to be an amazing time and it's going to be fun.

Yul 2017 Worlds

Moldauer seeks back-to-back World Championships medals after his bronze finish on floor in 2017.

How nice will it be to have your college coach, Mark Williams, over in Qatar with you?

It's going to be awesome. You never want to go represent your country without your coach. I'm happy that he's coming and I'm really happy Allan (Bower) gets to travel, too. I've always wanted to go to a big international meet with Allan and now it's finally our chance to experience this together. It just builds a great relationship. It's nice to see Allan keep going, I just want the best for him.

Any family or friends traveling to Doha to watch you compete?

My dad's going to go. Unfortunately, it's in Qatar, so it's halfway across the world which makes tickets pretty expensive. But, it's going to be great getting to see my dad. He went to Worlds last year, as well. It's going to be nice to have some family over there.

How does it feel to get to represent the United States on an international stage?

It's a huge honor, but it's a huge blessing, too. So many people want to be in this position. I'm just thankful I get to do it. Wearing USA on my chest has been a dream of mine since I was little and now that I get to live that dream. It's a big job but I really do appreciate it. It's just very special.

You don't want to look too far ahead, but with a team podium finish at Worlds, the team qualifies for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Can you just describe that opportunity that's in front of you?

It's a huge opportunity. I know if we qualify for 2020, it would definitely ease off the stress. I'm positive we can do it, I'm just ready to go out there with my team and represent.

You took bronze on floor exercise at Worlds last year and came in seventh in the all-around, what do you feel like you have improved on over the past year that will help you this time around?

Just experience. I'm not really focused on event titles or all-around titles, this is the first team worlds of the quad. So, really, we're all just focusing in on that team aspect, but hey, if I get an event title, that'd be awesome. But my mindset is about the team.

Once you get back to the U.S., what's your excitement level to have one last go-around with this OU team with the chance to make quite a bit of history?

I'm definitely going to miss it. This is my last year and it's something I've truly loved a lot. I can't believe senior year is already here. It's gone by so quick and wearing OU on my chest is just as fun as wearing U.S. on my chest. OU has given me so many opportunities and so many things in my life that I'll always be thankful for. So, going out with a bang this last year with this team will mean the world to me.

COLIN VAN WICKLEN

You've competed a lot this summer with U.S. Championships and the selection camp in the fall, how's your overall health heading into Worlds?

My body is feeling really good, I'm ready to go. The medical staff at the Olympic Training Center has helped me so much with getting my ankles back to where they need to be. I've taken recovery really seriously the past few months and it's really paying off.

We've been able to watch Yul and Allan in their Worlds preparations here in Norman, but could you just give an update on how your preparations have been training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado?

Training has been awesome. All my routines feel easy for me at this point. This is by far the readiest I've ever been for a competition. Sam (Mikulak) and I have been doing tons of practice competitions and we're in a really good rhythm right now.

Van Wicklen HB

Van Wicklen will be making his first Worlds appearance for Team USA following bronze finishes on vault and high bar at the 2018 U.S. Championships.

How excited are you to finally get to compete with this team at Worlds with guys like Sam Mikulak and Yul and others that you competed with and against at the collegiate level?

This is such a special team full of awesome guys who bring so much to the table. We have such a young team but all come from the NCAA background. We know what it's like to compete and be a part of a team. I'm super excited to get a chance to once again compete with Yul but also compete with Alec (Yoder), Sam and Akash (Modi) for the very first time. It's going to be an incredible experience and I'm ready to soak it all in.

You've really embraced the “underdog” mentality throughout U.S. Championships and selection camp. Could you just describe your mentality as a guy that has been kind of overlooked but battled through so much to get to where you are now?

If you know what an underdog is, it's a hungry dog—and hungry dogs run faster! I'm an underdog with a chip on my shoulder. Even though I made this world team I still have a lot to prove and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in the world. Above all I'm passionate. I train and compete with intensity because it means so much to me. This was my dream since I was eight years old. I'm ready for this moment.

What's the feeling like to get to represent your country and have USA on your chest on the international stage in such a big meet like the World Championships?

Competing for the United States at a world championship has been a dream of mine since I was eight years old. This means everything to me. It's an honor that I will hold in my heart for the rest of my life. I feel blessed beyond belief to represent this country and I promise you, you're going to get my very best.

Where do you see yourself helping the team the most and which event titles do you think you can compete for?

Floor, vault and high bar have always been my strongest events and I'm going to be bringing solid scores on those events. I am competing one of the hardest vaults in the world and I believe I am 100% in contention for a vault final and have the potential to compete for a vault medal. I have two solid vaults I will be doing in qualifications to try and make vault finals.

Obviously, you don't want to look too far ahead but with a team medal finish in Doha, you guys would qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Can you describe that opportunity and the mentality you guys have with that goal in mind?

Our goal is to hit 18 for 18 routines and stick as many landings as we can. We know we're the underdog team, so our mentality is to try and do the best possible job we can do and not worry about other teams. However, if we get on a roll, gain momentum and put pressure on some other teams, we have a good shot to get a medal.

Lastly, how much did your time at OU, winning national titles and numerous All-America honors, help you become the gymnast you are today?

Oklahoma molded me into the gymnast and competitor I am today. It is solely because of Oklahoma that I am on this World Championship Team. Mark's program taught me the core values of hard work, discipline, leadership, teamwork and taught me how to compete and perform under pressure. It was an honor to compete for Oklahoma. Regardless of what uniform I have on, I'll always be a Sooner at heart.

ALLAN BOWER

Bower Rings

Bower will serve as the alternate for the Team USA Worlds squad, but is ready if called upon after finishing third in the all-around at the 2018 U.S. Championships.

You had a shoulder injury that limited you at the World Selection camp back in September, how are you feeling now heading into Worlds?

My health is pretty good, right now. My shoulder was injured a month ago before the worlds selection camp. I had to push through there, but our trainer, Jenna (Allocco), has been helping me a lot to get my shoulder better. Last week was the first time I did an actual high bar routine, which was the event that hurt the most. It's feeling better, I'm just taking it day-by-day. I'm just making sure that I don't push it too far and hurt it even more.

What's your mentality going to Doha with the team, knowing that you're the alternate but keeping the right mindset if you're called upon?

I'm just treating it like I'm going over there to compete. I'm not going to think of myself as an alternate, just in case. I have the mentality heading over there that I am competing, that I'm just going to follow normal competition procedure. Even if I don't get to compete—I hope I don't, I hope nobody gets injured—it's still going to be an awesome experience to go over there and watch Team USA try to win a medal.

What's it like to compete on this team, consisting of guys that all went through the college ranks, many of which you competed with or against?

It's going to be awesome. I want to treat it like a college meet. I have Yul, Colin, and everybody that has gone through the college experience, so I feel like we do the best when we're in a college atmosphere. We're going to really be cheering each other on and treating it like this is what we've worked for and try to go out there and medal.

What does it mean to you to represent the U.S. in such a big international meet in Qatar?

It's going to be crazy, it's going to be a different experience. I've never been in a place like Qatar. I'm excited about the experience and the gymnastics are going to be unreal to watch. It's an honor to go over there and be a part of such a high level in this sport. I've dreamed about doing this ever since I was a little kid, so to be able to go over there and experience it will be fun.

How has it been getting to train in Norman with Coach Mark Williams, Yul and the rest of the current OU team?

Mark still treats me like I'm on the team. He makes me do all the team activities and always invites me to his house when he has anything with the guys, so I'm still Mark's athlete and I'm still an OU gymnast.

With a medal finish as a team, the US qualifies for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Obviously, you don't want to look too far ahead but can you touch on that opportunity for this team?

It's been a long time since we've got a medal and 2020 is a long way away, but I don't like to think of it like a ways away. I like to think of it as tomorrow or next week. Every day that you're in the gym, you have to treat it like you're training for something important. So, if you put it in the back of your mind that I got time, you kind of lose track of time then it's there.

Team USA will begin competition Friday morning at 1 a.m. CT with the team qualification round; fans can watch live on NBCSports.com. The men's team final takes place Monday, Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. CT. Individual competition begins Oct. 31 with the men's all-around final and runs through Saturday, Nov. 3. Both the team final and individual competitions will be aired on NBCSN and the Olympic Channel. A broadcast schedule can be found here.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma men's gymnastics, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_MGymnastics) and like Oklahoma Men's Gymnastics on Facebook.