Simone Biles of United States of America trains on the beam at the Rio Olympic Arena, Rio de Janeiro August 4, 2016. She could join Biles in medaling in the all-around competition, and also excels on beam and floor exercise.
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Women’s gymnastics is one of the most-anticipated events in the Rio Olympics 2016 and first-time Olympian Simone Biles from the U.S. Team is the favorite to take home the gold in all-around gymnastics events. Few who saw Biles on Sunday would disagree. Biles was not only the top qualifier for the all-around final, but also for the upcoming balance beam, vault, and floor events, according to NBC.
Led by Simone Biles, the USA women posted the highest team qualifying score of 185.238 – almost ten points better than second place. Three-time world champion Simone Biles, New Jersey’s 16-year-old Laurie Hernandez and, yes, Douglas, will be part of the five-woman squad trying to defend the United States’ team gold.
In qualifying, four competitors from each country compete on each apparatus with only the top three scores counting towards the total.
Douglas and Raisman, victor of floor gold in London, are the only two US gymnasts from the 2012 Games, with the former selected despite struggling in US Olympic trials. “Why can’t you guys answer that one?”
Simone Biles qualified to the all-around gymnastics competition Sunday in the top spot, as expected.
Gabby Douglas will have to watch the all-around final from the sideline. The International Federation of Gymnastics instituted the rule after the Romanians initially swept the podium. When Raisman drilled her dismount on beam, Douglas rose from her chair and gave Raisman a hug. She didn’t compete on any other events. China had Sunday’s second highest score at 175.279. Douglas was close behind, coming in third at 15.766 (Mustafina, wedged between them, scored 15.833).
Nowhere is her renewed confidence more visible than on beam. After Raisman safely dismounted she sweated out several nerve-wracking moments, alternating clasping her hands in prayer, nervously chewing on her fingernails and wrapping her arms around her as if needing something to hold onto.
Even if Douglas is content with not making the all-around competition, her teammates wish things were different.
Raisman was in the all-around final with a 60.607 score.
Brazilian Rebeca Andrade’s fourth-place finish in the individual all-around was the highest of any non-American.
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Competing at her Olympic debut, Biles excited the audience with powerful tumbles and firm landings.
