US athlete Yul Moldauer heads to Tokyo Olympics as Asian-Americans celebrate
- The gymnast, born in Seoul and adopted by American parents, is looking to spin his sparkling domestic form into Olympic gold
- Asian-Americans from across the US say he has proved an inspiration, especially given the rise in anti-Asian sentiment during the pandemic
Our Tokyo Trail series looks at key issues and athletes in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics, which are scheduled for late July. This is the first in a two-part feature on the Asian-American gymnasts who made headlines in the past week.
After leading the University of Oklahoma to three straight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships, Moldauer graduated last year. He was just the second first-year in the NCAA – the highest division of sports in American universities – to win the national title in the all-around field.
In 2016, Moldauer was left off the national squad for the Rio Olympics due to his “lack of experience”. He bounced back from his disappointment a year later when he won the all-around national title at the US National Championships.
