Skinner, Mikulak, Whittenburg To Compete At American Cup

Jan 15, 2015 by Becca Reed

USAG announced that Mykayla Skinner will join Simone Biles to compete at the 2015 AT&T American Cup on March 7 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. On the men's side, Sam Mikulak and Donnell Whittenburg were chosen to represent USA.

Skinner was on USA's 2014 World Championship gold medal winning team. She also qualified for vault and floor event finals where she placed third on vault and fourth on floor. Skinner also competed at the 2014 Senior Pan Am Championships where she won first all-around, on vault, and on floor, as well as helped team USA win gold.

Skinner is often considered the daredevil of Team USA as she loves throwing big skills and tricks. One of he signature skills her is layout double double on floor. Read more about Skinner in our Friday Focus here.

Mikulak represented USA at the 2012 London Olympics and has only gotten better since then. He enters the 2015 AT&T American Cup as the defending all-around champion. In 2014 he also won his second consecutive P&G Championships title and went on to compete at the 2014 World Championships where USA won bronze as a team. Mikulak qualified for all-around finals but didn't make the podium.

Whittenburg is a newer face in men's gymnastics but will be a strong contender for the American Cup title. He also competed at the 2014 World Championships and qualified for all-around finals and parallel bars finals. Whittenburg is known for his immense power and strength and this especially shines through on vault and rings. On vault he competes a Dragulescu as well as a Tsuk full-in.

Along with Biles, these four Americans will be sure to impress and contend for the AT&T American Cup title.

Complete roster as release by USAG. Read more about each gymnast here.

Men

Brazil: Arthur Oyakawa Mariano

Colombia: Jossimar Calvo

Germany: Fabian Hambuechen

Great Britain: Daniel Purvis

Japan: Ryohei Kato

Japan: Yusuke Tanaka

Ukraine: Oleg Verniaiev

USA: Sam Mikulak

USA: Donnell Whittenburg

Women

Australia: Emily Little

Canada: Elsabeth Black

Great Britain: Claudia Fragapane
Great Britain: Ruby Harrold- no longer competing (withdrawn Jan. 19)

Italy: Erika Fasana

Italy: Vanessa Ferrari
Japan: Natsumi Sasada (added Jan. 19)

USA: Simone Biles

USA: MyKayla Skinner

Venezuela: Jessica Lopez

The AT&T American Cup is the third and final stop in the FIG’s 2014-15 all-around World Cup Series. Verniaiev won the all-around at both of the other World Cup Series events in Stuttgart, Germany, and Glasgow, Scotland. Other medalists from those events who are competing in March are: Tanaka (second in Glasgow; fifth in Stuttgart); Black (second in Glasgow; seventh in Stuttgart); Lopez (second in Stuttgart; third in Glasgow); Whittenburg (third in Stuttgart); Ferrari, (fifth in Stuttgart); Hambuechen (fifth in Stuttgart); and Fasana (seventh in Glasgow). The World Cup Series champion for men and women will be determined at the conclusion of the AT&T American Cup.