The Canadians narrowly missed qualifying for the team final, a step back from four years ago when they finished in fifth. I am very fortunate that I have these parents that can come with me and support me and I can go to them after a bad day or after a good day and they’re always still love me. She recorded her best score, 15.766, on uneven bars. Unmistakable. Unavoidable. Standing in the darkened tunnel before entering Rio Olympic Arena on Sunday night, the USA women’s gymnastics team felt the pressure that comes not from outside expectations but those held within. This U.S.is that loaded. She didn’t compete on any other events.
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“I’ve seen her tremendous hard work and determination”.
All five members of the team advanced to individual event finals: Biles in vault, Biles and Raisman in floor, Biles and Laurie Hernandez in beam and Douglas and Madison Kocian in uneven bars.
American Simone Biles led the way through qualification in artistic gymnastics, as the United States finished the round atop the leaderboard with a team score of 185.238.
The American performance pushed the Chinese, Russian and British teams down the ladder, but even so Biles’ closest competitors seemed to accept she was in a league of her own.
“I think Gabby just proved that she has a place on this team”, Karolyi said after Sunday’s performance.
While her resume certainly impressive, there’s one thing missing from it: an Olympic gold medal. They were part of the Fierce Five that won gold in London. The Olympics!’ ” Biles recalled thinking when she went to bed Saturday night in the Olympic Village.
Yes, Raisman’s teammates call her “grams” or “grandma” just because she is a veteran on the team and team captain.
After debuting at her first Olympic Games, Biles downplayed the admiration. Douglas, 20, the defending all-around gold medalist, is making a bit of history already: She’s the first woman since Nadia Comaneci to win the all-around gold medal at the Olympics and return to the Games four years later.
The mini-drama during the qualifications was the battle between Douglas and Raisman for the second spot.
“I never really think about it because it’s something you can’t expect”.
Team USA is good enough to sweep the podium in the women’s all-around, but the two-per-country rule means they won’t be able to. “I just feel like I’m going to get stepped on or something”. The Rio Olympics continue today through August 21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Added Gabby Douglas, the “tallest” of the group at a little over 5-2, added, “It’s just amusing”.
