Team USA won the Gold for the second time in a row in the Women’s Gymnastics team final!
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So while the gold medal they won on Tuesday at Rio Olympic Arena was not surprising, it was historic. Above-the-neck game? Solid gold.
The Americans didn’t need it in winning their second consecutive Olympic women’s gymnastics team gold medal, one they were expected to claim and did so handily.
The U.S. team started on vault, where it built an early lead that no country would come close to.
Having already won gold in the 400 meter freestyle in dominant fashion, American Katie Ledecky faced a far stiffer test in the final of the 200 free Tuesday night in the form of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom. “The Americans” victory, along with the new moniker, was the ideal departing gift for retiring USA head coach Marta Karolyi, who burst into tears as she watched her adopted country win back-to-back team golds for the first time. They didn’t hop off balance beams. “We just thought the name was flawless because it is Marta’s previous year and we are the “final five” for her and it is wonderful to end it off with her like this”. It’s that ability to avoid mistakes when it counts that’s as much a testament to Karolyi’s meticulous preparation as their dynamic and unparalleled gymnastics. Laurie was incredible during her floor routine, as was Aly. Biles posted a team-best 15.933 on the apparatus. Ultimately, Russia earned silver with a combined score of 176.688, and China earned bronze with 176.003.
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Their winning score of 184.897, was 8 more than Russian Federation, who came in second, and is considered to be a blowout of proportions. Maggie Steffens, Courtney Mathewson and Kiley Neushul scored two goals apiece, and Ashleigh Johnson had 11 saves while becoming the first black woman to play water polo for the U.S.in the Olympics. Madison Kocian briefly rubbed the shoulders of her teammate Laurie Hernandez.
