USA Gymnastics has named five athletes to the U.S. Olympic team for men’s artistic gymnastics following the conclusion of the men’s competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials held June 24 and 26 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.

All-around champion Brody Malone of Summerville, Ga/Stanford University and runner-up Yul Moldauer of Wellington, Colo./5280 Gymnastics secured the two available automatic bids, while London and Rio Olympic Games veteran Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center and collegiate standout Shane Wiskus of Spring Park, Minn./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center rounded out the four-person team. Alec Yoder of Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University was selected to the +1 quota spot that the U.S. men earned through their performance at the Senior Pan American Championships earlier in the month.

Three years ago, when Stanford freshman Brody Malone won his first NCAA title, the possibility of making the 2020 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team started to feel like a distinct possibility.

“There was definitely a lot of hard work to do,” he said, “but that kind helped me realize this could happen.”

Little did he know.

COVID-19. Season canceled. Olympics postponed.

Then, with California on lockdown, Malone and a handful of teammates found themselves in Cypress, Texas, for several months last fall training with a local coach there ahead of the 2021 season.

All the travails of the past year and a half proved worth it as Malone so far this year has defended his NCAA title, won his first U.S. championship and, clinched the big one: a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.

Malone posted on Instagram after claiming the spot saying he had accomplished a lifelong dream:

 

The full team, including replacement athletes, is listed below.

U.S. Men’s Olympic Team
Brody Malone, Summerville, Ga/Stanford University
Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center
Yul Moldauer, Wellington, Colo./5280 Gymnastics
Shane Wiskus, Spring Park, Minn./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center
Alec Yoder, Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University

Replacement athletes
Cameron Bock, Tustin, Calif./University of Michigan
Allan Bower, Chandler, Ariz./University of Oklahoma
Brandon Briones, Gilbert, Ariz./Stanford University
Alex Diab, Glen Ellyn, Ill./University of Illinois
Akash Modi, Morganville, N.J./Stanford University

The artistic gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games kicks off July 24.

Olympic competition schedule