Men's Gymnastics Olympic Updates: Mikulak Sixth on P-Bars in Final Routine
8/3/2021 9:51:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics, Olympics
• Tokyo Olympics Site | U-M Olympics Coverage
Tuesday, Aug. 3
Individual Parallel Bars Final
Former Wolverine Sam Mikulak (USA) competed in the men's individual parallel bars final Tuesday (Aug. 3) at Ariake Gymnastics Centre and placed sixth with a mark of 15.000. Competing third in the finals lineup, he hit his routine with only a small error on his peach half skill and a small hop on the dismount. He qualified fifth for the final July 24 with a score of 15.433 during qualification.
China's Jingyuan Zou took the gold medal, scoring a 16.233, the highest score of the Olympic Games for any gymnast on any event. Germany's Lukas Dauser took silver (15.700), and Turkey's Ferhat Arican placed third (15.633).
The result closes out Mikulak's third and, in all likelihood, final Olympic Games. The United States placed fifth in the team competition, while Mikulak placed 12th (83.164) in the all-around final.
• Sam Mikulak: Parallel bars, 6th (15.000)
• Results and Video
Wednesday, July 28
Men's All-Around Final
Three-time Olympian Sam Mikulak (USA) competed in the men's all-around final Wednesday night (July 28) at Ariake Gymnastics Centre and placed 12th with a total score of 83.164. He posted top-10 scores on vault (7th, 14.533) and parallel bars (8th, 14.966) and was in line for a top-10 overall finish before a low floor exercise score in the final rotation.
Mikulak, who qualified for the final with the 14th-best score (84.664) during qualification Saturday (July 24), started the second all-around final of his Olympic career with a 13.566 on pommel horse. He then moved to still rings (13.533), followed by vault (14.533). He compiled a 14.966 on parallel bars and improved his score from qualifying on high bar by .767 with a 13.633 on the apparatus. The day concluded on floor exercise, where he struggled to a 12.933.
Fellow American Brody Malone placed 10th with a score of 84.465, while Japan's Daiki Hashimoto (88.465) captured gold.
Mikulak placed seventh in the all-around at the 2016 Rio Games. He did not qualify for the all-around final in 2012 in London. He will close out his Olympic career on Tuesday (Aug. 3) in the parallel bars individual event final at 4 a.m. EDT (5 p.m. in Japan).
• Sam Mikulak: All-around, 12th (83.164); floor exercise (12.933); pommel horse (13.566); still rings (13.533); vault (14.533); parallel bars (14.966); high bar (13.633)
• Results and Video (NBCOlympics.com)
Sam Mikulak (USATSI)
Monday, July 26
Men's Team Final
Former Wolverine Sam Mikulak (USA) was in action during the men's team final Monday (July 26) at Ariake Gymnastics Centre, taking part in five events as Team USA placed fifth with a team score of 254.594.
Mikulak began on pommel horse in the first rotation, notching a 13.733. He then put up two team-leading scores, posting a 14.466 on the vault table in the third rotation followed by a 15.000 on his signature event, parallel bars. Mikulak marked a 14.566 on high bar in the fifth rotation and closed with a 12.133 on floor exercise.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team took the gold medal with a 262.500, edging out host nation Japan (262.397), and China placed third (261.894). Great Britain beat out the U.S. in the final rotation for fourth place (255.760).
Mikulak now shifts his focus toward the all-around final on Wednesday (July 28) at 6:15 a.m. EDT (7:15 p.m. in Japan). He also has qualified for the parallel bar final on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 4 a.m. EDT (5 p.m. in Japan).
• Team Final: 5. USA (254.594)
• Sam Mikulak: Pommel horse, 13.733; vault, 14.466; parallel bars, 15.000; high bar, 14.566; floor exercise, 12.133
• Results and Video (NBCOlympics.com)
Saturday, July 24
Men's Gymnastics Qualification
Former Wolverines Sam Mikulak (USA) and Uche Eke (Nigeria) were in action during men's gymnastics qualification on Saturday (July 24), with spots in the team (top eight), all-around (top 24, maximum of two per country) and individual event (top eight, maximum of two per country) finals at stake.
Mikulak, a cornerstone of Team USA for the past two Olympic cycles, qualified for the all-around and parallel bar finals while helping the Americans qualify for the team final as well. His all-around score of 84.664 was good for 14th place, while his effort of 15.433 on parallel bars put him in fifth. Team USA was fourth overall (256.761) to advance to the team final on Monday (July 26) at 7 p.m. Japan time (6 a.m. EDT).
Eke, the first gymnast in Nigerian history to earn a berth in the Olympic Games, finished 58th in the all-around competition (74.765). His top event proved to be pommel horse, where he placed 52nd with a 12.866.
• Sam Mikulak: All-around, 14th (84.664); floor exercise, 15th (14.466); pommel horse, 23rd (13.900); still rings, 25th (13.866), vault, 33rd (14.133); parallel bars, 5th (15.433); high bar, 54th (12.866)
• Uche Eke: All-around, 58th (74.765); floor exercise, 61st (12.833); pommel horse, 52nd (12.866); still rings, 70th (11.900); vault, 61st (13.433); parallel bars, 64th (12.233); high bar, 67th (11.500)
• Results and Video (NBCOlympics.com)
