History of Sam Mikulak in Timeline

Samuel Anthony Mikulak is a retired American artistic gymnast and current gymnastics coach. He achieved significant success as a gymnast, including six U.S. national all-around championships, a bronze medal on the horizontal bar at the 2018 World Championships, and participation in three Olympic Games. Collegiately, he won eight NCAA championships, encompassing team, all-around, and individual event titles. After retiring from competitive gymnastics, he transitioned to coaching, beginning his role at EVO Gymnastics in 2023.

1979: Kurt Thomas' World Championships Performance

Kurt Thomas set a record for most event finals qualified for at a single World Championship by an American man, a record later matched by Mikulak in 2018.

October 13, 1992: Birth of Sam Mikulak

Sam Mikulak was born on October 13, 1992.

1996: Blaine Wilson's U.S. National Titles

Blaine Wilson started his streak of five straight U.S. national all-around titles.

2000: End of Blaine Wilson's Reign

Blaine Wilson won his fifth consecutive U.S. national all-around title, marking the end of his dominant run.

2000: Blaine Wilson's Fifth National Title

Blaine Wilson won his fifth consecutive national title in 2000.

2007: Joins U.S. Junior National Team

Sam Mikulak became a member of the United States Junior National team in 2007.

2008: Junior Elite Gymnast

Sam Mikulak competed as a Junior Elite gymnast in 2008.

2009: Junior Elite Gymnast

Sam Mikulak competed as a Junior Elite gymnast in 2009.

2010: Junior Olympic Nationals Champion

In 2010, Sam Mikulak won the all-around, floor exercise, and vault titles at the Junior Olympic Nationals.

2010: Joins Michigan Wolverines

Sam Mikulak joined the Michigan Wolverines men's gymnastics team in 2010.

2011: Previous Best U.S. Men's Worlds Finish

In 2011, a U.S. male gymnast achieved the best finish at the World Championships until Mikulak's fifth-place finish in the all-around in 2018.

2011: First NCAA Championship

Sam Mikulak won his first NCAA all-around title as a freshman in 2011.

2011: NCAA All-Around Champion

Sam Mikulak won the NCAA all-around title as a freshman in 2011.

2012: First Olympics and NCAA Champion

Sam Mikulak competed in his first Olympics and won his second NCAA all-around title in 2012.

2012: Competes in London Olympics

Sam Mikulak competed in the 2012 London Olympics, placing 5th with the U.S. team and 5th in the vault final.

2012: U.S. National Championships and Olympic Trials

Sam Mikulak won bronze in the all-around at the U.S. National Championships and qualified for the Olympics despite an ankle injury at the Olympic trials in 2012.

2012: Big Ten Conference Champion and Olympic Qualifier

Sam Mikulak won the Big Ten Conference title on horizontal bar and pommel horse and qualified for the Olympics in 2012.

2013: Six-Time U.S. National All-Around Champion

Sam Mikulak became the U.S. national all-around champion for the first time in 2013. He would go on to win this title six times total.

2013: First National All-Around Title and World Championships

Sam Mikulak won his first national all-around title and competed at the World Championships in 2013.

March 2014: American Cup All-Around Champion

Sam Mikulak won the all-around title at the American Cup in Greensboro, North Carolina, in March 2014.

August 2014: Begins Coaching at University of Michigan

In August 2014, Sam Mikulak became the undergraduate assistant coach for the University of Michigan men's gymnastics team.

2014: NCAA Champion and World Championships

Sam Mikulak won the individual all-around title and parallel bars title at the NCAA championships in 2014 and later that year participated in the World Championships.

July 11, 2015: Pan American Games Gold Medal

On July 11, 2015, Sam Mikulak led the U.S. men's gymnastics team to a gold medal at the Pan American Games.

August 16, 2015: Third National All-Around Title

Sam Mikulak won his third national all-around title on August 16, 2015.

December 17, 2015: Invitation to 2016 American Cup

Sam Mikulak accepted an invitation to the 2016 American Cup on December 17, 2015.

2015: American Cup and Pan American Games

Sam Mikulak participated at the American Cup and the Pan American Games in 2015.

February 21, 2016: Wins 2016 Winter Cup

On February 21, 2016, Sam Mikulak won the all-around title at the 2016 Winter Cup.

March 5, 2016: Participates in American Cup

On March 5, 2016, Sam Mikulak participated in the American Cup.

June 5, 2016: Fourth National All-Around Title

Sam Mikulak won his fourth national all-around title on June 5, 2016.

June 25, 2016: Qualifies for Second Olympic Team

Sam Mikulak qualified for his second Olympic team on June 25, 2016.

2016: Three-Time Olympian

In 2016, Sam Mikulak competed in his second Olympic Games. He became a three-time Olympian after qualifying for the 2020 games as well.

2016: 2016 Olympic Floor Exercise Finals

Mikulak qualified for the floor exercise finals with the highest score but did not medal at the 2016 Olympics.

2016: Competes in Rio Olympics

Sam Mikulak competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

2017: 2017 U.S. National Championships and World Championships

In 2017, Sam Mikulak competed in the U.S. National Championships and World Championships while recovering from an Achilles injury. He won silver on pommel horse and bronze on horizontal bar at the national championships. At the world championships, he competed only on horizontal bar but fell during qualifications. Despite the injury, he continued to host gymnastics clinics and workshops.

2018: 2018 World Championships

At the 2018 World Championships, Mikulak and the U.S. team finished fourth. Individually, he qualified for the all-around and four event finals, the most by a U.S. man since 1979. He placed fifth all-around and won bronze on horizontal bar, his first World individual event medal.

2018: 2018 Winter Cup and Pacific Rim Championships

In 2018, Mikulak won the all-around gold medal at the Winter Cup and also placed first on floor exercise, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. He also won gold with the U.S. team and the all-around title at the Pacific Rim Championships, along with gold on rings and horizontal bar, and silver on floor exercise and parallel bars.

2018: World Bronze Medalist

Sam Mikulak won a bronze medal on the horizontal bar at the 2018 World Championships.

2019: 2019 American Cup

In 2019, Mikulak finished second in the all-around at the American Cup, an FIG All-Around World Cup event, just 0.001 points behind Yul Moldauer.

2019: Setting Records

Mikulak extended his margin of victory record in the U.S. National Championships all-around competition in 2019, making it the largest of any of his national titles.

2019: 2019 U.S. National Championships

Mikulak won a record-breaking sixth all-around title at the 2019 U.S. National Championships, along with gold medals on floor exercise, pommel horse, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.

2019: 2019 FIG All-Around World Cup in Tokyo

Mikulak won the all-around gold medal at the 2019 FIG All-Around World Cup in Tokyo, beating defending champion Kenzō Shirai and silver medalist Wataru Tanigawa.

2019: Six-Time U.S. National All-Around Champion

Sam Mikulak became U.S. national all-around champion again in 2019.

2020: 2020 Winter Cup

At the 2020 Winter Cup, Mikulak placed first in the all-around and on parallel bars, second on floor and horizontal bar, and third on pommel horse.

2020: Final Year of Competition Announced

Mikulak announced in 2020 that he would retire after the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

2020: Award Recognition Year

Mikulak was recognized with the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame Excellence in Sports Award for the year 2020.

2020: Third Olympics

Sam Mikulak competed in his third Olympic Games in 2020.

2020: Impact of Olympics Postponement

The postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics contributed to Mikulak's struggles with depression. He later described these games as both the most meaningful and the hardest to qualify for in his career.

2021: National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame Award

In 2021, Mikulak received the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame Excellence in Sports Award for 2020.

2021: Targeted Olympic Games

Mikulak aimed to represent the U.S. at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as his final competition.

2021: Mental Health Advocacy

Mikulak began advocating for mental health awareness in 2021, sharing his own experiences with depression and the pressure of elite competition. He discussed feeling overwhelmed during the 2016 Olympics and struggling after the postponement of the 2020 Games.

2021: 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships and Olympic Trials

Mikulak secured his spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 2021 after competing in the U.S. Championships and Olympic Trials. He placed first on horizontal bar and third all-around at the Championships, and first on floor and second on horizontal bar at the Trials.