Yul Moldaeur is at that juncture in his career where no gymnast ever wishes to be. A potentially long and illustrious future lies right ahead of him. But it’s going to take him a while to bounce back after the mighty setback he’s just suffered. That’s because he’s been subjected to a 16-month-long suspension by the USADA on grounds of a whereabouts violation. But he’s not giving up. And neither is the gymnastics community abandoning him.

Moldauer has decently accepted, “Those (whereabouts) failures are on me.” He even said, “Do I wish I had done something a bit different, and that I had been more careful? Absolutely.” But the man has never trod the path that leads to prohibited substances. And he sticks by this stand. When he came out with his new confessional post on Instagram, many voiced their support for him, and one of them was even a former gymnastics legend.

On January 17, Moldauer sent out a detailed Instagram message. He made an additional statement to clarify the original one he had put a day before. And he also chose to curtail the questions that were floating around. He acknowledged the rumors and clarified that the USADA or the anti-doping officer were not responsible for his suspension, and neither was a bad system or any error. It was purely on him. Well, reading this statement drew a strong reaction from former Olympic bronze medalist Kathy Johnson Clarke.

Clarke responded to Moldaeur’s confession with a rather heartwarming message. She commented, “Champions are at their best when things are at their worst. By clarifying and expressing unmitigated accountability and sincere remorse, you speak volumes about your intention to grow, mature, and be the very best version of yourself. As severe as these consequences are, I have no doubt you will endure and reemerge as an even better man and athlete. Much love and support, Yul!! ❤️ Onward and upward!”

Well, it was incredibly thoughtful of Kathy Johnson Clarke. The American sports commentator and 4x World Championships team member put out a good word for Moldauer. Times like these can be nightmarish for an athlete’s mental health. But looking at how Moldaeur is ready to flip the page by learning the lesson that was in there for him, Clarke could not hold back her appreciation for him.

And not just Clarke; even USA Gymnastics left a note from their official Instagram handle that read, “All class, as always.” They had even dropped a similar comment on Moldaeur’s original statement, saying, “We can’t wait to see you back out there! (& we know you’ll still be the greatest hype man!)” Well, Moldauer is just 28 years old and has already touched multiple milestones in his gymnastics career. He’s been a Tokyo Olympian and has competed at five world championships, winning two bronze medals.

Moldaeur was also the non-traveling alternate for the Paris Games this time. But has he taken the correct call this time?

Could Yul Moldaeur have prevented this setback in his gymnastics career?

Well, the first way for the gymnastics star to have prevented this was by being more careful. This is something he honestly accepts. But the other way around could have been to submit an appeal against the decision. Well, the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s whereabouts policy does have this provision wherein athletes have 14 days to submit an appeal to an administrative review panel. However, Moldauer’s management team initially told Gymnastics Now that he opted out of it because it could further delay his eligibility to return to competition.

Later, this stance was changed when Gymnastics Now reported the original statement from Yul Moldaeur as to why he wasn’t appealing. He says, “I accepted the suspension without appeal because it was the right thing to do. I was in the wrong. I’d also like to make certain that other athletes use my mistakes as an example of what can happen when you allow yourself to be distracted from the responsibilities that come with the incredible privilege of being a U.S. National Team member.”

Do you think he should have appealed in any case? Let us know your stance below!