As proven in Sunday’s qualification round, Team USA is the one to beat in women’s gymnastics at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In addition to London Olympic Gold victor Gabby Douglas, the American team also features Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian.
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Americans occupied three of the top four spots in floor exercise, with Biles finishing first, Raisman taking second and Laurie Hernandez finishing fourth.
At this year’s games, those two athletes in the women’s all-around gymnastics category representing the United States will be Biles and Raisman, who edged out Douglas by just.476.
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.
As Raisman put on a near-perfect performance, her parents entertained viewers as well, clearly still nervous wrecks (remember London?) as they watched on from the stands. The 10-time world champion led the U.S.team ease into the final and reached four single event finals all as the top qualifier here on Sunday. Her cumulative score of 62.366 was almost four points better than any other gymnast not on her team. Douglas had shaken off a sub-par performance in Olympic trials and quieted critics who were convinced she didn’t deserve to make this team.
For Douglas, team finals – where the Americans can have a bad day and still win gold – await, and she’ll have uneven bar finals later in the week. In 2011, Jordyn Wieber won the World Championships in the All-Around but finished behind Douglas and Raisman at the Olympic qualification round and was unable to participate in the final.
“I feel like the two-per-country rule is fine”, Douglas said. Douglas, who was the 2012 Olympic Champion, will compete in the uneven bars final along with Kocian.
Given that the majority of the drama and competition that took place during Sunday’s qualifying round was between the competitors on Team USA, there is little doubt that they could potentially become one of the most decorated ever.
“We just have to stay confident and do our routines like we normally do”, said Biles matter of factly, taking to Twitter to thank their team the morning after their Rio romp.
However, while the top eight qualify for the individual all-around final, which is Thursday, only two are eligible from each country for that competition. However, Raisman made up the ground with a second place finish in the floor that included a score of 15.275. “I was anxious because the coach said that I might get replaced on the team”. They will look to do it all again on Tuesday night, August 7th, in the team finals.
The U.S. team started on vault, where it built an early lead that no country would come close to.
Women’s Uneven Bars Final, Sunday, August 14 at 4:21p.m.
But let’s not hand the US team the gold medal yet.
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Team USA is considered the heavy favorite to win gold.
