Moldauer Punches Ticket to Olympics

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma alumnus Yul Moldauer is officially an Olympian. The 2019 OU grad punched his ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with a runner-up finish in the all-around at the U.S. Olympic Trials in St. Louis Saturday.

Moldauer locked in his spot on the four-man USA squad with a second-place all-around score (168.600) plus top-three finishes on parallel bars (1st), pommel horse (2nd), floor exercise (3rd) and still rings (T3rd) over the two days of trials.

"I'm just thankful to everyone that helped me get here, especially my coaches, my family, my teammates at OU and my teammates this past year at 5280 (Gymnastics) pushing me and getting me through the year," said Moldauer.

"Just thinking about the Olympics, it's scary at times. I remember thinking today, this is what I've been thinking about every day as a child and this is my opportunity to go take it. I can't be thankful enough for everyone that helped me get to this spot."

Joining Moldauer in Tokyo will be 2017 Oklahoma graduate Allan Bower. Bower was named an alternate to the team at the conclusion of Saturday's Trials and will travel to Japan with the team to be ready if called upon. Bower finished seventh in the all-around with a 165.450 two-day tally and claimed top-five spots on pommel horse and floor exercise.

Rising senior Vitaliy Guimaraes impressed at his first Olympic Trials. Guimaraes finished 11th in the all-around (162.450) and fourth on vault with a two-day score of 29.200.

Senior captain Gage Dyer competed floor exercise and vault at the trials, vying for a specialist spot in Tokyo. Dyer concluded the meet with a third-place finish on vault (29.250) and fourth-place spot on floor (28.900). Dyer's day-two floor score (14.650) was third overall to Olympians Moldauer (14.800) and Sam Mikulak (14.700).

Recent OU grad and freshly-minted National Team member Matt Wenske finished his week at Trials 14th in the all-around, putting up a two-day total of 154.550.

Moldauer joins Bart Conner (1984), Guard Young (2004), Jon Horton (2008, '12), Jake Dalton (2012, '16), Alex Naddour (2016) and Chris Brooks (2016) as the seventh Olympian from the OU Men's Gymnastics program.

Six of the seven were coached by USAG Hall of Fame head coach Mark Williams. Williams will be part of Team USA's delegation in Tokyo, making his sixth appearance at the Olympics, every Games since 2000.

"Mark (Williams) has done so much for me," added Moldauer. "Especially throughout my gymnastics career, him and the OU guys. I know I'm at 5280 now and I'm gone from OU but I still have that certain respect for everything that program (OU) has done for me.

"No matter what gym I'm at now, there's always going to be Sooner Magic or Sooner blood inside me, no matter where I go." - Yul Moldauer

"To be out on the floor with my 5280 coach, Sasha (Artemev), and Mark from OU, it was unreal. Both sides have done so much for me, I can't take all this. We did it collectively. To share that moment with them was amazing."

The four-man team set to represent the U.S. in Tokyo for men's gymnastics is Moldauer, Michigan grad and now three-time Olympian Sam Mikulak, University of Minnesota graduate Shane Wiskus and Stanford product Brody Malone. Ohio State graduate Alec Yoder claimed the plus-one spot on the team as a pommel horse specialist.

The opening ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is Friday, July 23, 2021.

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.