Fresh off a gold medal in parallel bars at the Xfinity Championship in May, Yul Moldauer was confident to make his place in Paris. This year was supposed to be his redemption arc, after 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but it seems, the story has ended even before it began. In a shocking turn of events, the former world champion gymnast has fallen short in his bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old athlete, known for his exceptional performances on the pommel horse and parallel bars, faced disappointment at the U.S. Olympic Trials held on June 29.

Moldauer, who won gold in all five events at the 2024 Pacific Rim Championships, failed to hit the right footing during this critical qualifying event. Despite possessing all the qualities of an Olympic athlete, years of hard work, and an impressive background, he failed to qualify for one of the few spots on the U.S. men’s gymnastics team.

The men’s finals ended in a heartbreak for the 27-year-old as he was tied for the fifth spot with Asher Hong at the end of Day 1, with an 83.700 score. While he had the chance to redeem himself, he faced another major upset, shattering his Olympics hopes. He did pull off an impressive triple-twisting double on high bar, but ended up with just 13.000 due to a few missteps. His final score by day 3 came up to 97.800. As per MyUSAGym, Yul Moldauer’s score of 165.300 has seen him slip to the 9th place – taking away his qualifying chances!

Taking a closer look at his individual scores, Moldauer’s best performance on Day 3 was in the parallel bars. He trailed slightly behind Brody Malone in this apparatus with a score of 29.25, decent enough for sixth place. Surprisingly, Moldauer’s scores suffered the most in the high bar and pommel horse, where he finished 13th in each. Additionally, his performances in the floor exercise, rings, and vault lacked the luster needed to make the cut. His scores of 27.9, 27.65, and 28.6 in these events, respectively, had him falling short of the top spots by a significant margin.

However, former US gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, Tim Dagget remarked during the event stream that Yul Moldauer was out of the race by only a hair. He mentioned, “The team that was right behind them, 5/100s of a point behind had Yul Moldauer on it.” He further mentioned that “there is no deduction in gymnastics of 5/100s of a point. Less than the smallest deduction. That’s how close Yul was!” It is heartbreaking, we will admit, especially with a margin this close. But going by Moldauer’s persona, this setback is surely not going to deter him.

Yul Moldauer isn’t afraid to go the extra mile!

“I love you all for the support! ❤️ Trials was an amazing to be at! A filled arena and that’s all a gymnast could ask for!” read the gymnast’s official social media update post the result. While the message seemed filled with hope, Moldauer’s actual emotions can be guessed based on how hard he worked for this chance. Back in December 2023, when America was busy celebrating Christmas, exchanging gifts and meeting up with family, Moldauer was training hard within the confines of 5280 Gymnastics. But this was far from a sacrifice. It was a promise to continue honoring his country. “The pressure of representing my country isn’t really pressure to me. It’s more of an honor and a responsibility,” he said.

And that’s how an Olympian becomes an Olympian, isn’t it? And not just him, even his fellow US athletes have the same responsibility, which they take very seriously. “We have a saying: imagine if Team USA was a red Ferrari. We don’t want any dents or scratches. Keeping the Ferrari clean is our motto,” the Olympic gymnast said, which showed his commitment to the daily upkeep toward achieving perfection. And perhaps this dedication is what pushed him in the 2021 US Olympic Trials.

Concluding the competition with a slew of wins, his total score of 168.600 earned him an all-around silver medal three years ago. Moreover, his stunning 28.950 on parallel bars secured him a gold medal, followed by a silver in the pommel horse with a score of 28.350. The Oklahoma alumnus also added two bronze medals to his tally in the floor exercise and still rings. The only shortfall was his 19th place finish in qualifying for the individual all-around.

After qualifying for Japan, he failed to reach the podium during the main event. As a member of the USA team, which finished 5th overall, he placed 6th individually in the Floor Exercise (FX), 17th in the Pommel Horse, and 22nd in Rings. A valiant effort indeed!

But now, after years of hustle, being knocked out of the qualification finale at the Trials must have been a shocker for him. But that doesn’t mean the young gymnast is done! With plenty of opportunities lying ahead of him, Moldauer, the sports icon, can perhaps make a fitting comeback. What do you think? Let us know below.