And this:
We have the nickname! The Final Five (b/c there will be 4 team members at the Tokyo Olympics)
— Julia (@juliafincher) August 9, 2016
... remember when they had seven team members? The IOC is cutting back on these incredible talents and adding every other sport that applies? OK, that’s another rant. For now, we’ll sign off. Thanks for following along with us, and thanks for all of your encouraging tweets. We’ve spoiled the results, but if you watch tonight, you will not be disappointed. Beautiful stuff. Enjoy.
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USA WIN GOLD!
Meanwhile, Teramota gets a strong 14.466 on the beam, but that’s not enough to get on the podium. Just waiting for Biles’ score, and we’ll have the standings. MEDALS: GOLD USA, SILVER Russia, BRONZE China. Then Japan and Britain.
And Biles on the floor, needing a tiny score to clinch gold ... it’s a 15.8. Best of the competition, the announcers tell us.
FINAL SCORES
USA 184.897
RUS 176.688
CHN 176.003
JPN 174.371
GBR 174.362
GER 173.672
NED 172.447
BRA 172.087
Four years ago #USA won by 5.066 points, the biggest margin in 52 years. This time they won by 8.209.
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) August 9, 2016
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Japan are done, so we get the joy of watching Biles claim the crown for the USA.Two twists, two flips, nailed the landing. I take it back – maybe she’s NOT human. And it’s all over but the counting. The USA will win gold by a large margin.
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Current podium: Russia 176.688, China 176.003, Britain 174.362. Japan has 159.905 with one gymnast left. USA? 169.097. So Biles could pretty much walk onto the floor, do a somersault, and call it a night. Japan have very little chance of catching China.
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If you want to know more about the supreme athlete that is Simone Biles you can read Bryan Graham’s excellent profile here:
14.3 for Murakami. Let’s sum up with two gymnasts remaining: Biles for the USA, and Teramoto for Japan. And my apologies – that was Murakami departing from the beam in tears. Blame buffering.
Raisman’s first pass looks like she’s drawing a topographic map of the Himalayas. Finishing this in style. Meanwhile, Japan are struggling on the beam – 13.833 for Mai Murakami, and now Aiko Sugihara departs in tears.
Hernandez scores a 14.833, a hair higher than her qualifying score. Raisman up next to all but seal gold for the USA.
Oh my - we haven’t even seen Paseka yet, but her score is in. 15.7. Yikes. That actually puts Russia ahead of China. So unless a US gymnast fails to break double digits on the floor, Britain will be knocked off the podium.
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Mustafina also knows layouts, and she just did one on the vault. 15.133. Britain’s medal hopes fading.
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Laurie Hernandez on the floor for the USA - she gives a wink before she starts her routine. Double layout to close her first pass. (That’s where the body isn’t piked or tucked or anything – straight vertical. It’s quite a sight.)
USA will need a 37.105 on floor to win gold. They had a 45.8 in qualifying. They just might pull this out. Melnikova opens the Russian vault effort with a bit of a hop. 14.9.
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Mao gets a 12.633. China still finishes ahead of Britain at 176.003. Britain at 174.362. If Japan and Russia don’t break 43 on their last rotations, there’s hope for Britain. The vault goes quickly, so we’ll keep one eye on Russia there while the USA put on a show on the floor.
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More enthusiasm for Germany while we await a couple more scores:
Germany's best team ever KILLED IT TODAY. Did everything they could. They need to be SO proud. Very first time in team finals at Olympics.
— Lauren Hopkins (@LaurenHopkins96) August 9, 2016
Mao Yi wraps it up for China. And ... ouch. She slips all the way off the mat on her first acrobatic pass. Safe to say they won’t be challenging the USA for gold. Germany had by far their best rotation on uneven bars. The lowest score was 14.9. Total: 45.899. They’ll still finish behind Britain, but a finish like that must feel nice.
Downie’s final score for Britain: 15.133. Very nice. That’s 44.766 for the vault rotation. No chance of catching China, but they’ve put pressure on Japan and Russia for bronze.
China are on the floor, trying to nail down the silver. Shang Chungsong got a 14.700. Wang Yan bounces around like a kinetic energy experiment, bounding from one impressive set of flips to the next. The look of determination on her face could make Michael Phelps say, “Whoa!” She gets a 14.733. Not sure what it takes to get more, but all three Americans did it in qualifying.
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Amy Tinker’s vault looks nice. Landed right on the center line, and she gets a 14.933. Last up for Britain – Ellie Downie lands an impressive vault and breaks into a huge smile. They’ve done all they can. All up to the judges now.
Fragapane seems less than pleased with her vault. Had a little hop, but it didn’t seem that bad.
@duresport to pass the time you could catch up on what the GOP candidate said today in Wilmington.
— The '60s at 50 (@the_60s_at_50) August 9, 2016
... the Wilmington where I lived, or the one in Delaware?
We’ll start the final rotation with China on floor, Britain on vault. Also Netherlands and Germany in action. Britain need something special on the vault. The order is Fragapane, Tinker and Ellie Downie.
Scores after third of four rotations
OK, finally – the US lead is actually under five points. But still quite comfortable.
USA 138.898
CHN 133.937
JPN 131.772
RUS 130.955
GBR 129.596
BRA 128.630
NED 128.365
GER 127.773
The missing Chinese score was 15.066 for Fan Yilin. This isn’t over. Well, almost. China’s last person on the floor will be Mao Yi, who posted an 11.7 in qualifying. If she does that again, maybe we have a race for silver.
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Anyone have any ideas for passing time during this delay for the scores? I’m at @duresport on Twitter.
Announcers keep referring to a seven-point lead for the USA. But China will be closer than that when this last score comes in. Sometime ... China’s first two scores on the beam were very good: 14.466 and 15.066 for Shang Chunsong.
Fragapane finishes up the floor rotation for Britain. Some impressive acrobatics, but her face is not a happy one. Waiting on one more beam score from China to give the full scores after three of four rotations ...
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, a serious threat in the all-around, got a 15.400 on her vault. Brazil picked up 44.899 on that apparatus, by far their best of the day.
Britain’s Tinkler got a 14.466, slightly down from her qualifying score.
Downie’s score: 14.133. Apparently had a step out of bounds that wasn’t immediately visible.
Here’s Ellie Downie on the floor, where she was injured in qualifying. Doesn’t seem the least bit concerned, getting hang time exceeded only by Biles and landing smoothly. Could this be the routine that gets Britain back on the podium? And a noticeable exhale from Downie as she walks off the floor. Inspiring to see her come back with something like that.
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Watching @USAGym and getting pumped for our game!!! #USAvCOL 6pmET
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) August 9, 2016
... the US soccer juggernaut play in around 90 minutes.
Britain’s Amy Tinkler begins her floor routine with a tinkle on the high register of the piano. Her first two big landings are less than convincing. Her third is much better. To update where we stand: We’re halfway through the third rotation. Britain are on the floor. China are on beam. Germany are vaulting, and the Netherlands have the bars.
Biles gets a 15.3, down about one-third of a point from her qualifying routine. That’s 45.533 for the USA. Russia posted 42.032 on the floor to fall nearly eight points behind the USA. Japan have vaulted into second, still more then seven points back. And check out Brazil on vault! The hosts score 44.899. Not giving up on the quest to get out of the cellar.
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Biles shows just enough of an error to prove she’s human, wobbling slightly on one flip. But from the starting spin to the dismount, little else went wrong.
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USA news: Raisman scores a 15.000 on the beam. A nice round number for a change. Hernandez’s score is finally in: 15.233.
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The equivalent of a busted string for a guitar player? Japan’s Teramota tears the tape on her hand in the middle of her uneven bars routine. But she finishes with no trouble and smiles about it.
The world feed returns just in time to catch the last two-thirds of Aly Raisman’s beam routine. Maybe the broadcasters are trying to get more people to buy tickets. But we see Raisman’s landing, which seems physically impossible.
Up next: Brazil on the vault, Japan on the bars, USA on the beam, Russia on the floor. Russia struggled on the floor in qualifying. Japan were pretty good on the bars.
Scores after two of four rotations
USA 93.365
CHN 89.339
RUS 88.923
JPN 87.306
GBR 86.831
GER 84.774
NED 84.699
BRA 83.731
And now the Americans head into their two strongest events. Unfair.
Brazil’s Andrade wound up with a pretty low 12.966 on the floor. Meanwhile, Kocian scores 15.933 on the bars. Unreal. Checking in on Russia – Melnikova, who fell, only gets 13.033 on the beam. Mustafina posts a 14.958, and Tutkhalian goes 14.766. China has passed them for second.
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USA’a Gabby Douglas just posted a 15.766. We’ll see her again in the apparatus finals on these bars. Her team-mate Madison Kocian up next on bars, and ... she might threaten Douglas’ score. How these women stop their rotation in no time flat is beyond me. What a landing.
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And we have a music error! Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade stands like a statue to start of her floor exercise as the wrong music starts. We see the DJ booth as they sort it out.
Simone drills bars as Melnikova comes off beam. So whatever mojo Russians had coming off bars is kaput
— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) August 9, 2016
I’ll take Will’s word for it for now. One feed has disappeared, and Biles was not shown on the other. But we’re back to see Gabby Douglas zip through a jaw-dropping routine. We’re reaching “just hand them the gold” territory.
It’s not just me noticing China’s coach encroachment:
Tan almost kicked her coach which, had it happened, would have served him right
— Nancy Armour (@nrarmour) August 9, 2016
Sub-scores for the second rotation: China (bars) 45.007, Netherlands (vault) 43.033, Britain (beam) 41.965, Germany (floor) 41.674 At long last, the Americans are back in action on the uneven bars. This will be an unusual event for them, with our first and last looks at Madison Kocian and Gabby Douglas.
Meanwhile, a lot of consultation between the British gymnasts, a coach and a laminated paper of some kind, like an NFL coach looking for a play to call. 14.166 for Downie. Sub-42 for the beam as a whole, but they also didn’t do that well on the beam in qualifying.
Tan Jiaxin is on bars for China, whose coach stands nearly close enough to take a knee to the head. Maybe a slight moment going wrong as she switches hands, but the landing is picture-perfect.
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Now Becky Downie, who mounts the bar with a split and sticks a couple of flips with no trouble. Britain could use a momentum-changer here, and Downie seems to be delivering, though the landing could be cleaner. Tune in tomorrow for the score ...
Britain’s Ellie Downie is burying her head in a towel. It’s sad stuff to see. Her score is 13.666 – the execution score was under 8. Her team-mate Claudia Fragapane is up next. Fragapane has a couple of wobbles but stays up and has a strong dismount. We’ll get that score after we see China’s Fan Yilin on bars. Fan splits her feet on landing after an otherwise dazzling routine. Scores are being held up a while here – finally a 14.433 for Fragapane.
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Ellie Downie up now on beam for Britain. And ... she’s off. Wobbled after a flip and couldn’t stay on. She hops back on to finish the routine and looks a little out of control on a spin. Unfortunate after her brave qualifying effort.
And #CHN Shang Chunsong misses catch on UB
— Rachel Axon (@RachelAxon) August 9, 2016
Ironically posted just after this ...
I’m gonna go on my always precarious limb and say these USA gymnasts are the best athletes at #RioOlympics2016
— Sally Jenkins (@sallyjenx) August 9, 2016
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Second rotation underway, and Russia Aliya Mustafina comes up big again. 15.933. Russia making a serious push here.
Scores after first rotation
Now we’re getting a peek at Britain’s Becky Downie on uneven bars. She springs from bar to bar with confidence, and she lands with no hop whatsoever. Long wait for the score, and it’s ... 15.400. That’ll put Britain in a tentative medal spot after one rotation, with 44.866 points.
The scores after one of four full rotations:
USA 46.866
RUS 46.166
GBR 44.866
CHN 44.332
GER 43.100
JPN 42.474
BRA 41.999
NED 41.666
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Boos as the 16 year old Brazilian Flavia Saraiva, whose complex beam performance wowed in qualifying, receives only 14.833 here in the team final. It’s a routine that requires not one, not two but three consecutive blind leaps and a small wobble on the last may have resulted in a deduction, but to receive so much lower than her 15.133 qualifying score has not gone down well with the home crowd.
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For Britain, who started on bars as China started on vault, Ruby Harrold gets things started with a 14.833, a hair better than her qualifying score. The vault goes quickly, and China are already done with 44.332. They’ll have work to do.
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When you see the long delays while teams set up to start, you understand why ad breaks are so long. China finally gets going with a 14.833. Not a great start. Tan Jiaxin does a solid vault with a little hop backwards, then quickly walks away. They’re not selling it here. 14.766
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Mustafina put up a big number: 15.933. That gives Russia 46.166 total, 0.7 behind the USA’s 46.866 but staking an early claim for silver. China are up next on the vault, though.
To paint the picture here: We have eight teams and four disciplines. Four teams go at a time. So China has not yet started on vault, while the U.S. gymnasts are sitting around rather bored.
So halfway through the first rotation, your scores are:
USA 46.866
RUS 46.166
JPN 42.474
BRA 41.999
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Japan have 28.566 through two gymnasts, and Sae Miyakawa is already in a spot of bother with a step over the line on the floor. She also stumbles on her last acrobatic run.
Meanwhile, the vault feed has given us about five minutes of Simone Biles sitting. And now yawning. Alert Twitter.
Two scores up for Russia now, and they have 30.233. They’ve averaging more than 15 points. And yet they’d need 16.633 points from Mustafina to tie the USA early on.
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Then it’s Simone Biles, the star of the show, who arcs through the air with Jordan-esque hang time. Lands with a little hop forward but clearly under control. Should be another big score ... and it’s 15.933, surprisingly less than she saw in qualifying. She looks confused. Here’s how Simone did in qualifying:
So can Russia, on their stronghold of uneven bars, keep pace? First score is up -- it’s 15.133. Brazil and Japan already more than a point behind that.
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Hernandez gets a 15.1, not far off her qualifying score. Up next, her US team-mate Aly Raisman with an “Amanar,” in which the gymnast lands facing forward. And ... she nailed that. 15.833.
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Laurie Hernandez, the youngster, up first for the USA on vault. She lands a little off center, with a slight hop. Had a 15.2 in qualifying.
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Maybe they’re saving up to see Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, fourth in qualification, compete in the all-around.
This place is about half full. Kind of surprised at that.
— Rachel Axon (@RachelAxon) August 9, 2016
Other countries showing off their sparkling leotards or snazzy warmups. Germany dressed in something that looks like a knock-off catalog sweatshirt with “GERMANY” splattered across the front.
The US gymnasts are glittering like they’re about to take the stage in Nashville or Branson.
Quick reminder: Britain’s Ellie Downie had a nasty fall in qualifying. But she kept going, and she’s scheduled for all four disciplines today.
We have the gymnasts strolling out onto the floor. Brazil seems to be moving quickly in anticipation.
Ten minutes to go. Quick reminder of what’s at stake:
US women trying to become first team to win back-to-back Olympic golds since Romania did so in 2000, 2004 #Rio2016
— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) August 9, 2016
I’ve seen Dylan and Plant. I don’t think Biles had been born yet. Russia is relying heavily on Angelina Melnikova and Aliya Mustafina. They’re set to go in each discipline.
Biles, Dylan and Plant would be a killer triple bill:
Simone BILES (USA) joins venerable list of people to perform here including Bob DYLAN (USA) and Robert PLANT (GBR). pic.twitter.com/gbn0h8z48o
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) August 9, 2016
Don’t be shocked if Russia leaps out to an early lead. Daria Spiridonova and Aliya Mustafina are the reigning world and Olympic champions, respectively, on uneven bars. (Spiridonova was in a rare four-way tie, along with the USA’s Madison Kocian.) The USA open on vault, where they’re solid but not as spectacular. Unless you’re talking about Simone Biles.
It’s fair to say the Aly Raisman’s parents get a little nervous during their daughter’s routines:
If you want to see how the USA is likely to win this competition through math alone, check out the calculations on the points US gymnasts are due to earn through their difficulty ratings.
Bah, and so it is. I added 6.3 + 6.3 + 6.8 for VT. Can I blame @nrarmour ???? Nah, that's on me. Apologies https://t.co/dHIxdq145a
— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) August 9, 2016
How they'll line up
Simone Biles will compete in all four disciplines today. Gabby Douglas, the 2012 all-around champion and third place in qualifying two days ago, will compete in one.
Rachel Axon, one of two known Wilmington Star-News alumni to work at USA Today (the other was your correspondent today), sees Douglas’ demotion as a sign of a “team that is even deeper and more versatile than the Fierce Five.”
The USA and silver medal favorites China are paired together, and they will go through the disciplines in this order: vault, bars, beam, floor. Douglas and bars specialist Madison Kocian will have a short wait for their event.
Russia and Britain will start on the bars. Brazil and Germany start on the beam. Japan and the Netherlands, not expected to be in the running for the medals, start on the floor.
Start list for today's women's gymnastics team final (3 p.m. ET). #USA will start on vault and end on floor. pic.twitter.com/q7GVqdz3uM
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) August 9, 2016
Hello and welcome
If you don’t like reading about American athletes’ exploits, you might want to bid farewell to us now. Only two things can happen here – a rout by the heavily favored US gymnasts, or carnage on the apparati.
The USA simply performs difficult routines as easily as many of us walk down the sidewalk. To drop out of the gold-medal slot, they’d have to do far more than a little wobble on the balance beam. They’d have to fall multiple times.
The numbers don’t lie. The US women racked up 185.238 points in qualifying. Second-place China had 175.279.
The battle for the rest of the podium will be intense. China, Russia, Britain and Brazil were separated by 1.225 points in qualifying. Britain took bronze at the World Championships in Glasgow last year. Can they repeat, or will Brazil get a boost from the boisterous home fans?
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a mathematician or gymnastics judge to appreciate what you’re seeing here. Simone Biles is one of those rare athletes that makes you take notice even if you don’t know how many points are awarded for that twisty-turny thing she did (for more on Simone, read Bryan Graham’s excellent profile).
Each team will send up three gymnasts in each of the four disciplines: balance beam (hereafter called “beam”), floor exercise (“floor”), uneven bars (“bars”) and vault.
Start times: 3pm Eastern, 4pm Rio, 8pm in London.
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