U.S. gymnast Yul Moldauer, who just returned from the Pan American Championships in Rio with four gold medals, told International Gymnast Online that his performance in Rio has prepared him for the next U.S. Championships in Tampa and the World Championships in Liverpool later this year.
Y. Moldauer Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Moldauer, who won silver in the all-around and gold in the floor exercise, pommel horse, and parallel bars as well as in the team final in Rio, said, “Rio definitely was a terrific meet to get the nerves going again and realise what you have to improve on.”
It was a critical part of preparing for the U.S. and World Championships, and now I am familiar with the framework of my routine. It’s time to put the finishing touches on a game that I’m having trouble with.
The next figurative step for Moldauer will be the U.S. Classic, which will take place from July 28-31 in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, and serve as a qualifying tournament for the U.S. Championships, which will take place from August 18-21 in Tampa.
The World Championships are taking place in Liverpool from October 29 to November 6, and from there he plans to compete.
With the help of teammates Riley Loos, Brody Malone, Colt Walker, and Shane Wiskus, Moldauer was able to hold off a late onslaught from Brazil in the final rotation and win the Pan American Championships team gold.
According to Moldauer, who trains under the tutelage of Vladimir Artemev, Alexander Artemev, and Irina Artemev at 5280 Gymnastics in Colorado, the team medal won in Rio is his favourite. It was a marathon competition, and the final race was a nail-biter. When you win as a team, it’s much more satisfying than when you win on your own.
With his ability to compete in a wide variety of events, Moldauer is an asset to the U.S. team in terms of both overall performance and scoring.
A silver medalist in the next three U.S. Championships followed Moldauer’s all-around victory at the 2017 competition. He placed seventh in the all-around at the 2017 World Championships in Montreal and fourth in the all-around at the 2018 World Championships in Kitakyushu.
Prior to Rio, Moldauer’s best international finishes on apparatus were sixth on floor exercise at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, fourth at the 2018 World Championships in Doha, fifth on parallel bars in Kitakyushu, and bronze at the 2017 World Championships in Montreal.
Last Words
He has competed on four of the six apparatuses at the last four U.S. Championships, and he has earned two gold, five silver, and four bronze medals.
A realistic optimist, Moldauer shrugs off his recent brush with even greater all-around rankings after losing the Rio all-around title to Brazil’s Caio Souza.
