Olympian Moldauer Returns to Competition at Xfinity U.S. Championships

The 2017 U.S. all-around champion is set to compete in the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships this week in Phoenix, marking his return to the sport after a 16-month suspension. Yul Moldauer, a Tokyo Olympian, was barred from competition between September 2024 and November 2025 due to three missed drug tests within a 12-month period.

While Moldauer has never failed a drug test, he accepted responsibility for failing to adhere to strict whereabouts requirements that mandate Olympic-level athletes make themselves available for no-notice testing. During the suspension, he was prohibited from training at any USA Gymnastics member facility.

Instead of training independently, Moldauer stepped away from gymnastics entirely. He took a job at a warehouse for Ball Corporation, working early morning shifts before spending his afternoons in a public fitness gym. His routine included swimming and running a mile daily, eventually clocking a time under five minutes and 30 seconds. Moldauer stated that the time away served as a reset, describing it as feeling like a “youth bath” that allowed his body to heal from various injuries sustained since 2019.

The event will be broadcast across NBC Sports platforms. Comcast Corporation, the parent company of NBC Sports and streaming service Peacock, trades in the Communication Services sector. The media and technology giant saw its shares move 0.93% higher today, with the stock price hovering near $24.93 and a market capitalization exceeding $87 billion. The company’s Media segment is responsible for producing and distributing the coverage of the championships.

Now 30 years old, Moldauer is the oldest competitor in the field. He announced in April that he was relocating to Oklahoma to train under coach Mark Williams, the head of the University of Oklahoma program where Moldauer previously won NCAA titles.

What to watch

• Moldauer’s performance level in Phoenix as he returns to elite competition after a long hiatus.
• Audience viewership metrics for the event on NBC Sports and Peacock.

Source: original release