It has been a rough 2025 for Yul Moldauer. He was slammed with a 16-month suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. While he still has about three months left in his suspension, he is already making moves for his return.

On November 13th, it was reported via X by Gymnastics Now that the artistic gymnast is officially cleared to start his training. As soon as he got the clearance, Yul Moldauer hit the gym for his first training session in little over a year. He ensured he practiced as much as he could on the first day of his return. Following the practice sessions, he went to X to share his joy , “Got through two practices today!!!! Really happy with how it went! Let’s see how sore I am tomorrow.” 

Following the suspension, Moldauer reacted claiming that this suspension will not define him.  Since 2 November 2025, Moldauer has been hyping up his return through X. And on 13 November, he finally did it. “First practice back in the books,” the Olympian wrote. Moldauer also shared that during his suspension, he was performing his ‘Covid Workouts‘ to keep himself fit. 

The gymnast’s suspension will officially be lifted on January 13, 2026. Despite the suspension, Modauer still has immense support from his fanbase. Do you know why?

Why did the fans keep supporting Yul Moldauer despite a 16-month suspension?

Well, the answer lies in the reason why he got punished. It wasn’t the result of a failed drug test, but rather, he was absent for multiple tests in the past year. Olympic-level athletes need to provide their whereabouts daily for random drug testing. Unfortunately, Moldauer failed to do so on three different occasions. He missed the tests twice because of conflicts with competitions. And the third time, he was 45 minutes away from the location, and the drug testing agent claimed that he had waited for 15 minutes and the 29-year-old was unable to make it in time. 

On top of that, Yul Moldauer took full responsibility for all three dates. His honesty was appreciated by the fans. At the same time, while being suspended, he still has been mentally preparing to represent the USA at the 2028 LA Olympics. 

Once the news broke out that the 29-year-old gymnast is back training, many fans were elated. Fans welcomed him back and claimed that they are excited to see him in the upcoming seasons. “So happy for you legend,” a fan wrote. “So excited to have you back,” another fan said. Another supporter was curious about his training routine and was convinced that if he competes for the AA Gold in the next season, he could win it too. “What exercises did you practice? Are you gonna try for the AA gold next season? I believe you can. Welcome back to the game.”

Now, he steps into the new season not just to return, but to contend. If Moldauer continues to stay disciplined and regularly trains, a podium finish in 2026 feels well within reach. Do you think his newfound energy can propel him through the upcoming season’s championships?