Competition Resumes For Team USA's Top Gymnasts At Winter Cup

Cameron Bock competes in the Pommel Horse at the 2021 Winter Cup on Feb. 26, 2021 in Indianapolis.

The long wait is over for some of USA Gymnastics’ brightest stars and Olympic hopefuls.
After a year away from competition for many athletes, the Winter Cup opened on Friday night in Indianapolis with the men’s all-around competition. Seizing the opportunity to show he’s prepared to compete with the best of the best this summer, 22-year-old Cameron Bock had a breakout performance to claim the all-around title.
After taking sole possession of first place after the fourth rotation, the University of Michigan senior extended his lead over silver medalist Riley Loos with a strong showing on pommel horse and a score of 14.300. He needed only a 13.250 on the still rings, his final apparatus, to stay on top of the standings and he came through with a 14.110 for a total score of 84.150. 
“It’s definitely surprising, but I’ve been working for something like this,” Bock said after the event. “I saw I was leading after three or four and I knew I had to keep it going.”
Bock said he was by far most proud of his performance on the vault. Traditionally his worst event, on Friday night it was his highest-scoring at 14.350. 
The meet is a chance for athletes to test themselves heading into the national championships and Olympic Trials this summer. Loos was another gymnast who made those around him take notice. The Stanford sophomore was tied with Bock for first place midway through the meet. After Bock pulled ahead, Loos stayed right on his heels, posting a 14.250 on the floor — the highest score of the night — for his final routine. He took silver with a total score of 83.250. 
Yul Moldauer, who finished third, had an up-and-down night. He led after two rotations, followed by Bock and Allan Bower, but he fell on the high bar and his score of 11.800 dropped him into a tie for seventh place. He finished with a total of 82.600. 
“Overall I just wanted to go out and hit the routines I’ve been training,” said Moldauer, the 2017 national all-around champion. “It’s a major upgrade on (parallel) bars, horse, new rings, so honestly I’m happy I got to do those events. … Honestly I’m just glad we got to do an event like this because it was great seeing all these guys. Cameron Bock, congrats to him, and Riley Loos, that’s amazing. It’s nice to know there are younger guys pushing us older guys.”
Reigning U.S. champion and two-time Olympian Sam Mikulak, who has said he will retire following the Games this summer, is not competing this weekend. Mikulak won the event last year. 
The competition continues on Saturday with the women’s all-around, and although Simone Biles isn’t taking part, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez will participate, along with Riley McCusker, Jade Carey and Sunisa Lee, the 17-year-old who helped the U.S. win the 2019 world championship.