The time has come, dear friends, to find out that the US women have won the team final. Well…shortly, we’ll find that out. But also who wins the other medals! You know, the interesting part. Who’s going to fall the least?!?!
For the US women, the lineup news is that Hernandez will be going instead of Douglas on vault. Hernandez scored a fraction better in qualification, and it’s not going to make much difference either way. So there’s that. More interestingly, Hernandez is not doing bars, meaning Biles is competing AA today. I think the US squad has always been more content using Biles on bars in a team final than the general fandom is. Plus, if Hernandez is limited because of her abstomahamstring, her routine is not vital. Biles got a 15 in qualification for what was basically a C- routine for her.
Joining Biles in competing the all-around today will be Mustafina and Melnikova, because of carrying everything, Jade Barbosa, because Brazil is putting her on beam instead of Andrade which doesn’t make anyone feel comfortable, Eythora Thorsdottir, because she needs to do every event all the time, and Ellie Downie, because of ahhhh is everything OK and are we sure about that? At least now she has had actual time to be properly evaluated, now that the glow of “HEROIC STORYLINE, GRIT, GET OUT THERE, WHO CARES ABOUT YOUR NECK” has worn off.