© John Cheng

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 5, 2019 – After the first of two days of competition, six-time U.S. all-around champion Sam Mikulak of Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, sits atop the all-around rankings at the men’s World Team Selection Camp competition at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. At the camp, eight of the USA’s top male gymnasts are vying 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. The competition concludes Saturday, and fans can watch the competition in person or via livestream on Sept. 7 at 2:30 p.m. MT. For those in the Colorado Springs area, the competition is being held at the USOPTC’s Sports Center I, which can accommodate up to 1,000 spectators.

Mikulak easily claimed the highest all-around mark for the day at 87.350. Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Stanford University, landed in second at 83.600, with Shane Wiskus of Spring Park, Minn./University of Minnesota, on his heels in third at 83.000. Yul Moldauer of Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma, is currently fourth with an 82.650, just ahead of Colin Van Wicklen of Magnolia, Texas/University of Oklahoma, at 82.550. Rounding out the eight are: Allan Bower of Chandler, Ariz./University of Oklahoma, sixth, 82.300; Trevor Howard of Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University, seventh, 81.050; and Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, eighth, 80.450.

The top three for each event are as follows.

  • Floor exercise: Mikulak, 14.450; Bower, 14.100; Moldauer, 13.800
  • Pommel horse: Mikulak,14.450; Bower, 14.000; Modi, 13.950
  • Still rings: Howard, 14.700; Whittenburg, 14.550; Mikulak, 14.150
  • Vault: Howard, 14.700; Van Wicklen, 14.700; Wiskus, 14.500; Van Wicklen, 14.700 for both vaults
  • Parallel bars: Mikulak, 15.000; Wiskus, 14.300; Modi, 14.250
  • Horizontal bar: Mikulak, 14.900; Modi, 13.800; Wiskus, 13.650

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. The event has limited seating and is only open to 1,000 guests.