This is a coronation, not a competition.
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The United States will lean hard on the smallest member of the team as it goes for the women’s gymnastics team gold Tuesday. There is no need to hedge on this or qualify it in the slightest. “Everyone knows struggle and that it can be a little rocky sometimes – for me it was very rocky – and people are drawn to that and inspired”.
As USA Today’s Nancy Armour pointed out, gymnastics is a sport that’s supposed to be decided by tenths of points, not 10s.
It was an emotional soundtrack for a stirring and successful night for the U.S.in its qualification round Sunday at Rio Olympic Arena.
“It’s very good to combine experience with newcomers”, said Martha Karolyi, 73, the U.S. team’s coordinator. “[Biles] makes me so glad I retired!” she told NBC.
That may be the most impressive thing about this group.
The US are the reigning Olympic and two-time world team champions, with gold theirs for the taking with the battle between Douglas and Biles set to ignite the all-around.
She completed the beam without a hitch before watching Raisman do the same.
Why? Douglas was barely beaten out by her own teammate Aly Raisman. Laurie Hernandez had to windmill her arms to hold her vault landing.
“Simone is Simone. She is a big talent, but she also proved how she is handling herself and how she is able to perform under pressure”, Karolyi said. She is a lively and entertainer performer with a bubbly personality; she is excellent on floor exercise, but can post especially high scores on the balance beam. Raisman will also be competing on the floor final with Biles, while Hernandez will compete in the balance beam final.
“It’s tough, but you have to go into it knowing our team is incredible”, Gallardo said.
She took time off after her London success with Biles dominating women’s gymnastics in her absence. It’s true that the level of competition in the world has fallen considerably. Russian Federation has been hit hard by injuries.
Britain, the world team bronze medallists a year ago, are ready to challenge for a first women’s Olympic team medal since 1928. But even if that wasn’t the case, it likely wouldn’t matter. You could sense the urgency all afternoon, as she went through the events, turning in some of her best ever performances across three apparatuses.
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Usbek Oksana Chusovitina, 41, qualified for the vault final in her seventh Games, 24 years after winning Olympic team gold in Barcelona 1992.
