2021 US Gymnastics Championships: Men face off stateside while battling for an Olympic berth in Brazil
As the US men are set to fight for a berth to Olympic Trials at the 2021 US Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday, five of their US teammates are in Rio de Janeiro for the Pan American Championships and have, arguably, the tougher (and riskier) task this week: bringing home a +1 Olympic berth.
The gymnasts competing in Brazil run the risk of exposure to COVID-19 through their international travel to a foreign country that is still grappling with the pandemic, having lost 207,000 people in the past three months alone. But for these men, the chance at earning their country one more Olympic berth is worth the risk.
“It is very important to qualify that extra spot to maximize medal potential,” said 2021 NCAA rings and parallel bars champion Shane Wiskus, who will be competing in Fort Worth. “It’s definitely a risk for those guys, and I think it’s really brave of them to step up, go down there, and hopefully get the job done.”
In reward of taking the risk, all five athletes competing in Brazil have automatically qualified to Olympic Trials. In addition, per USA Gymnastics’ published selection procedures, “The top ranked U.S. athlete, who finishes ranked in the top two places in the AA final and earns a NOC quota spot for the USA will earn an automatic spot on the Senior National Team to be named following the 2021 US Gymnastics Championships.”
Cameron Bock will lead the team at Pan Ams. The recent Michigan graduate is coming off a dominant Winter Cup performance, where he won the all-around and placed second on pommel horse and parallel bars.
Bock will be accompanied by Michigan teammate Paul Juda, Stanford’s Riley Loos, and Oklahoma’s Vitaliy Guimaraes. Donnell Whittenburg, who contributed to Team USA’s 2015 win at Pan Ams, is the traveling alternate.
Back on the home front, the rest of the US men will face off at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth for the opportunity to join their teammates in St. Louis, Missouri for trials.
Athletes may qualify to St. Louis through the following methods: 1) by being named to the U.S. national team following the 2021 US Gymnastics Championships; 2) by being a member of the US team for Pan Ams; 3) or petitioning to compete at trials.
Six-time national all-around champion Sam Mikulak looks to earn his seventh US title this weekend in what will be his final championship before retiring. This time around, he wants to do it with a healthier mindset.
“Coming around for this last one, I think what I am looking for most is just gratitude,” said Mikulak. “I’m just trying to appreciate it as much as I can, because I think for so long, I haven’t appreciated it the way I should have been.”
Other names to look out for are 2017 U.S. all-around champion Yul Moldauer and 2019 World team member Shane Wiskus.
While athletes like Moldauer have been limited to Winter Cup and small club meets this year due to the pandemic, some NCAA gymnasts may be poised to capitalize on getting a collegiate season under their belt this spring after almost a year off from competition.
“I’ve also had the privilege of competing in the college season,” Wiskus – who is also the 2021 NCAA rings and parallel bars champion – said during media day. “I do have some competition experience under my belt from the last couple months, so this is just another competition for me, another chance to prove myself.”
Other collegiate athletes joining Wiskus this weekend include 2021 NCAA all-around and high bar champion Brody Malone – who is set to compete the most difficult high bar set of the meet – and 2021 NCAA floor and vault champion Gage Dyer (Oklahoma).
Because the five men competing in Brazil are unable to be at nationals, the results from championships will no longer be part of the official Olympic Team selection.
Due to the Pan American Championships being in direct conflict with US Championships, USA Gymnastics selection procedures have been adjusted and Olympic Trials will now be the only official “tryout event” for the Tokyo Olympics, with the top all-around finisher automatically qualifying to the Olympic team, and the second-place all-around finisher automatically qualifying if that athlete also places in the top 3 on a minimum of three of the six individual events.
“I think there are pros and cons. It’s probably the most fair compromise,” said two-time World team member Akash Modi. “They’re going out there and putting themselves at risk to get our country’s spot, so we can’t really leave them out in the cold.”
Day one of senior men’s competition in Fort Worth starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can find the full U.S. Championships schedule and how to watch here. The U.S. Pan American Championships team will compete on Friday, June 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET for the chance at a +1 individual Olympic berth. Watch that meet live here.
