2023 has been a huge step in erasing that disappointment from his memory. With an All-Around win at the Winter Cup earlier this year and four gold medals from the Pan American Championships in his back pocket, including the All-Around and team title, Moldauer continues to make a statement about what he can bring to Team USA.
But as nice as those gold medals may be, Moldauer knows work still needs to be done.
“Overall I think we went out there and did our job, but I think if China and Japan and Russia were there we wouldn’t have been too pleased with how we did,” Moldauer said.
Getting back on the medal podium as a team at the World Championships is the biggest goal. Any member of the U.S. men’s National Team would tell you that. How they can make it happen remains the biggest question.
Adding difficulty to stay competitive has been a key focus for Moldauer personally in the lead up to Paris, but with 13 months to go until the Games, Moldauer likes where he’s at.
“If you look at my start scores, I’m over or just right there with everyone right now,” Moldauer said. “Classics is coming up … I’m going to be going for some big routines on high bar. I’m going to be adding the double double layout on floor. After that, it’s kind of just a couple tenths here [and there.] … I can strongly say that I look at some of the start scores of some of the guys on the National Team and if anyone says I have lower start scores, they need to be looking at someone else too.”
As a unit, Moldauer likes what he sees from his Team USA teammates in terms of difficulty as well. So what’s missing? After analyzing successful teams of past generations, Moldauer feels better communication and better team chemistry is what the team needs.
“We have the difficulty and we definitely have the skill, and now I think we’re just lacking that little personality, culture puzzle piece that we’re building now,” Moldauer said. “I can strongly say that these last few National Team camps and these competitions, it’s really starting to show who we are as a team and what we can do if we act as one … I trust every gymnast out there to do their work and skills but at the end of the day, we need to buy in together to have the same goals and do the same thing.”
With a bit more structure at National Team camps, this year, Moldauer said, the team is finally starting to feel like an NCAA team. A team that has the same goals, same expectations, and of course, spends time together.
“I’m not saying our culture is bad at all. It’s really good, we’re all best friends,” Moldauer said. “But I think we’re missing that team dynamic. When you’re in college you train together, you do the same things, and that’s how you build your trust going into a competition … As a team now we chalk the p bars. It doesn’t matter what kind of grip – you figure that out as a team now. Outside of the gym we’re always hanging out, going to eat together. When we’re at National Team camps we’ll either go to Top Golf or go golf carting – so we can really see each other outside of the gym.”
