Two other spots for Tokyo Games will be decided by a selection committee later Saturday, with Sam Mikulak and Shane Wiskus seeming like virtual locks
ST. LOUIS — Brody Malone grew up in northwest Georgia and spent part of his childhood tinkering around as a rodeo rider before finally committing full-time to gymnastics. It’s a decision that’s carried him all the way to the Olympics. The 20-year-old locked down a spot on the U.S. Olympic men’s gymnastics team on Saturday, earning an automatic berth on the five-man team by capturing the Olympic Trials with a two-day all-around total of 171.600. The victory, on top of the NCAA crown the Stanford junior won in April and the national title he won earlier this month cemented Malone’s status as the leader of the men’s program heading to Japan and beyond. Yul Moldauer, the 2017 national champion and a three-time world championship team member, is heading to Tokyo next month too after finishing runner-up to Malone while also ranking in the top three on four events. The two other spots will be decided by a selection committee later Saturday afternoon, though six-time national champion and two-time Olympian Sam Mikulak and Shane Wiskus seem like virtual locks after steady and occasionally spectacular performances inside The Dome at America’s Center.
