Boston • Sam Mikulak’s feet hit the mat and a guttural scream soon followed. Winning national championships never gets old for the best American gymnast of his generation. Yet the title the 25-year-old captured Saturday felt different.
Eighteen months ago an Achilles injury threatened to derail the two-time Olympians’ career. Back issues that popped up last week left him wary. A shaky performance during the opening round on Thursday fueled his angst, or at least close as the relentlessly optimistic Mikulak gets to angst.
Mikulak knows all too well the potential he’s shown during a half-decade in the spotlight hasn’t exactly turned into the results he wants on the world stage.