COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 4, 2019 – Eight of the USA’s top male gymnasts will vie for berths on the 2019 U.S. Men’s Team that will compete at the 2019 World Gymnastics Championships, Oct. 4-13, in Stuttgart, Germany, where the men hope to qualify the USA for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Held at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, the camp includes two days of competition, both of which are open to the public and will be available via livestream. The competition will be held at the USOPTC’s Sports Center I, with competition on Sept. 5 at 11 a.m. MT and on Sept. 7 at 2:30 p.m. MT. Admission is free.
The eight men who make up the 2019 World Championships Team Squad and competing at the camp are: Allan Bower of Chandler, Ariz./University of Oklahoma; Trevor Howard of Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University; Sam Mikulak of Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center; Yul Moldauer of Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma; Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Stanford University; Shane Wiskus of Spring Park, Minn./University of Minnesota; Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center; and Colin Van Wicklen of Magnolia, Texas/University of Oklahoma.
The five-man team and replacement athletes, including one who will travel to Stuttgart, will be determined based on a combination of the two-day all-around score from both the 2019 U.S. Championships and the World Selection Camp. The all-around champion based on the combined scores will automatically make the U.S. World Championships Team, and the second-place all-around gymnast will also automatically qualify if he finishes in the top three in three of the six events. Discretionary selection of the team involves a variety of factors, including which combination of gymnasts yields the best team score; ability to qualify to the team finals; and medal potential in the all-around and individual event finals. For complete information about the selection process, please check the official selection procedures.
The members of the Selection Committee are Mike Serra, JD Reive, Jonathan Horton, Russ Fystrom and Brett McClure. In accordance with the selection procedures, an independent observer will attend the selection meeting, and a written report will be provided to the athletes, coaches and general public. The team will be named within 24 hours of the conclusion of competition.