Today’s action features the event finals on Bicep Crash, Competitive Lowering Your Arms Slowing In The Corner, and Man Plummet, some of the most anticipated action of the whole Olympics.
And we’re all just going to pretend like this isn’t the last day of the Olympics so that we don’t have to deal with that emotionally. Agreed. Done.
Starting order
PBars – Leyva, Muntean, Deng, You, Belyavskiy, Verniaiev, Larduet, Kato
Floor – Murakami, Wang, Fasana, Tinkler, Biles, Steingruber, Raisman, Ferrari
HBar – Hambuechen, Zonderland, Wilson, Mikulak, Verniaiev, Barretto, Larduet, Leyva
Boo to the high bar order. Way too front-loaded. What’s the point of anything after Truffula Tree goes in the second spot?
But first, parallel bars. The opportunity for Jon to see if he can break the record for number of times identifying the Bhavsar in a half-hour period.
PBars final
Oh Kohei, you dork. Waving for the camera. I love what a dork he is. More than his gymnastics.
One of the coaches tripped while trying to cross himself. Ha.
-Is Danell going to medal?
-Nope!
LOL. Well played.
Danell’s hair chalk looks particularly like dandruff today. I want Yin to kiss me on the forehead before I try anything.
Leyva – diamidov, one rail, very good hs positions early – traveling a bit with hand placements here and there but this is quite clean – STICKS double front. Excellent routine. His best for a while. 15.900.
Muntean – struggles to hold a peach to one rail, muscles it back but an excellent save – much slower rhythm than Leyva – BHAVSAR COUNT 1 – pretty precise though, hop on double pike. 15.600. Scores appear to be going high. Same E as Leyva. 9.000.
Deng – long hold on opening hs – love his saltos, that doubble half – ooh, wonkified a pirouette there with an arch – HE DID A BHAVAR AND JON DIDN’T IDENTIFY IT YOU’RE NOT EVEN TRYING – double pike hop back. 15.766. 8.566 E, that one pirouette did him in and the pretty big hop on landing. Loses piked shape on dismount in second salto on replay.
You – very strong double pike – good rhythm through double back – double back half – very small arch in a turning skill there but this is excellent – Jon missed his second Bhavsar identification already – a couple arches and a couple moments of strength – double front 1/2 – FALLS. Wow. Danell is like, “Don’t smile, don’t smile, don’t smile.” 14.833.
Belyavskiy – chalk dandruff isn’t quite as bad as Leyva’s – very strong peach to one – very smooth in pirouettes and tippelt variations – very short hs to one rail in there – double front 1/2, hop back – should be a very strong score, but into only 2nd. 15.783. Same D as Leyva, lost it on execution.
Danell is busy planning his “remember that time I wasn’t on the team?” love note to Kevin Mazeika.
Oleg – arches on a peach half but saves it well – another large arch – Oleg! – #tiredOleg – nothing too major but a couple of arches and slight adjustments on handstands – double front 1/2 stuck! 16.041. Lower E than Leyva but a higher D.
Larduet – peach to one is good – huge break in leg form early in the routine, legs go all Nabieva – sticks double front 1/2! Very strong routine, but that large hs form error will send him down. 15.625. Out of the medals.
Kato – the day of the arched handstands – he has another – a few too many hs errors for him as well, though no less porcelain than usual so it’s fine – step back on dismount. 15.233.
Gold: Verniaiev
Silver: Leyva
Bronze: Belyavskiy
Oleg going full Oleg feelings.
We’ll have to wait to decide whether Danell’s medal is a good argument for the US men taking a more individual-medal strategy or for the US men taking a more holistic, nationals-results-aren’t-everything approach. Or neither. Because it’s just one medal. Whatever.
To Simone time on floor.
FLOOR
Mai – double double mount, good control on landing, stays in – very short DLO full with a lunge – 2.5 to lay full, hop – completely falls out of a double wolf and rolls around and pretends she meant to and she’s my hero – best thing ever. Double pike, small slide. 14.533. D is 6.3.
Wang – I just can’t with this routine – very good control on double double, small slide and chest down – 1/5 to 3/1 to punch front, one of the better completions on that nonsense China has shown so far – 2.5 to half, solid – switch ring – a little flat on swithc 1/2 – hop on double pike. 14.666.
Jon is baffled by E scores. I’m really rooting for Courtney to be like, “Well, on women’s floor, they actually care about execution.”
Fasana – double double, chest quite low but sticks it, DLO shortish with a hop forward – low on some leaps – good straddle position – short double pike, hop. 14.533. Same as Mai. Everyone bunched. Let’s get NOT ENOUGH SEPARATION going.
Tinkler – DLO 1/1, a bit piked in her shape and a bounce back – double double, also solid control and a very low chest, as most of the gymnasts have had so far – 1.5 to double back, chest down again slide – good stick on double pike. 14.933. Huge result for her! Best difficulty score so far.
Biles – DLO 1/1 with hop back, excellent shape and amplitude obviously – Biles to split, more uncontrolled on this landing than usual but covered well into split, does not roll out of her wolf turn like a proper gymnast – split 1.5 is all the way around – very strong double double – large bounce on her full in – not her best landings, but also like whatever. 15.966. Ahead by only a point.
She’s like, “I’M FINALLY DONE.”
Steingruber – stumbles out of opening leap – double double to handstand! NOOOOO. Giulia, this life. Sticks an excellent DLO after that. Hand down again. Goodbye forever.
Raisman – 1.5 through to double arabian to layout with her customary hop forward to just stay in bounds – L turn is fine but not “best ever” like in AA – strong Dos Santos – a little bouncy in some dance elements early – nails DLO – double pike small bounce. She has been absolutely excellent through this Olympics. 15.500.
Tinkles is like, “Well crap.”
Courtney is having none of Jon saying Aly’s routine was better than Simone’s. It’s a very men’s gymnastics approach. Aly’s landings were better, but Simone’s dance elements and body position keep her ahead.
Ferrari – double double, small bounce – DLO, legs apart but strong and secure landing – full in is short with a bounce forward – drops a bit out of double y, doesn’t complete two full – split position low – deep landing on double pike with a stumble back, that should decide things –
Yep. Into 4th with a 14.766.
TINKLERRRRRRRRRR
Gold: Biles
Silver: Raisman
Bronze: Tinkler
Ferrari 4th again, and apparently she’s done after this. Italian gymnastics should be begging her to stick around. They still absolutely need these routines.
Simone Biles only won four gold medals you guys. BUT HOW IS SHE GOING TO GET REDEMPTION FROM THIS?!?!?!?!
18 medals awarded in women’s gymnastics. 9 for the US, 4 for Russia, 1 each for China, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, and Great Britain.
One more to go!
HBAR FINAL
Fabian! Epke! People!
The tanning difference between Nile and Sam is hilarious.
FABIAN – catches cassina – Kolman is solid – layout tkatchev to straight rybalko – stalder rybalko is as crazy as all of them are – somewhat late on hop but little things – nearly stuck dismount, came up too quickly and had to step back. 15.766. Got too excited on that dismount and will actually incur a lot for that, because swam also before stepping back.
EPKE – cassina connected to kovacs and he’s down – I think people got scared because he laid down flat and didn’t move, but he’s back up – did he smack himself on the head? Now he’s going for all the crazy Epke legs we ever could have wanted – sticks Double Double layout. He does have a big splotch on his forehead.
Yikes – replay of the fall is worse than the actual fall looked in real time – looked like some whiplash when he landed and then slapped his head on the mat.
Nile – Oh wait there are still other people? Cassina good rhythm – same on Kolman – late on full turn, but I never know when it’s Actual Late or Man Late. Double double layout with a stick. 15.466. Got Fabian on execution (deservedly), but Fabian had .5 more D.
Mikulak – cassina and he caught it it’s a high bar miracle – catches Kolman as well – good hs position on full – tkatchev half – late jam and a couple late finishes – hop on dismount. 15.400. Same D as Nile, just a tad behind on E.
Oleg – layout tkatchev 1/2 – good hs positions – tkatchev half – very late on a pirouette here – tries to muscle up a handstand but just can’t – and then hands down on his dismount. He was 17 kinds of done after winning PBars.
Jon’s like “I could have medaled.”
Barretto – layout tkatchev 1/2 – layout tkatchev, tkatchev 1/2 – some legs and hs – DLO 1/1 with a hop. 15.208 and into 4th. 8.3 in E. Mikulak and Wilson were at 8.6s.
Larduet – lay taktchev 1/2 – lay tkatchev – tkatchev 1/2 – a little close on a catch – a couple late hs but nothing major – triple double with small hop – that’s more the Manrique we saw last year. Hmmm. 15.033. Slammed on execution, more than anyone else. Get ready for your outrage.
Leyva – stoop full a little late – layout Kovacs is excellent – catches Kolman a bit close – crazy stalder rybalko – wonky hs and a bunch of moments of legs – just trying to endure – hop back on dismount. Too sloppy. And yet second with a 15.500. I don’t understand at all. But also the men’s HB deductions. I’ve never understood. So that’s nothing new. Yay Danell? Yay Danell. Great.
Gold: Hambuechen
Silver: Leyva
Bronze: Wilson
FABIANNNNNNNNNNN.
Mikulak leaves with no medals, missing out on HB bronze by less than a tenth.
Another medal for GB!
I’m not OK with there being no other events. But we’ll need to be ALL OVER that nonsense gala tomorrow. So we still have that to cling to.
Man Plummet might be the best thing I’ve read all Olympics.
ooh i like the floor lineup, the top four contenders goes last, with simone being the first of those
is it just me, or were must of oleg handstand kind of “not perfect”
Archy Oleg, lmao
oleg takes pictures immediately with danell… how about with david?? maybe ?? pull off a hong un jung ??
Go Danell!!
Oleg is Olympic champion!!! This is one of the best days of my life!!! I literally held my breath during Oleg’s entire routine. I nearly fainted.
Yes Oleg was a little archy on handstands. Yes, he wobbled ever so slightly on one rail. However, Oleg’s difficulty is higher than Leyva’s. And Danell visibly muscled some positions. There is NOOOO controversy.
Congratulations to all the medalists. Oleg and Danell are such great friends. Oleg is also friends with David. It must be so much fun to be on an Olympic podium with your friends.
what happened to china’s floor choreography? idk why but that running in place part was so funny
14.666 for Wang Yan? REALLY? She was spot on and is 2.34 less than she got in the AA. ABSURD.
Do you mean .234? I am fairly certain she did not get over a 17 in AA on floor… 😮
yes, obviously.
don’t be an asshole.
noo steingruber!!!!! at least she got a bronze on the vault. Ferrari can finally get a bronze medal, if she makes it through her routine.
jim does not know how to read numbers. really.
I agree! He messed up so many times. I appreciate that he gets into gymnastics unlike TrautPIG, but he made so many on-air gaffes. Plus he just could never shut up. Talk, talk, talk. I know it’s ingrained in him due to his broadcaster training where they tell them dead air is the worst. But still, just stop with the talking and let Horton and Kupets talk. Those two were the experts. I did appreciate Jim’s enthusiasm, but just shush a bit more!
Honestly, he was better than Al by so much. Was he perfect? No, but I don’t expect perfection. He made an effort, and I think we should appreciate that. It is hard to get on air and try to talk intelligently about something you haven’t been following your whole life. I get that he could improve, but I think criticizing all of the commentators may not be ideal when we have someone as horrible as Al still in the box.
Praise be to the gods of gymnastics, I *never* have to hear that Ferrari floor music ever again
Oy… that Puccini megamix! I hate that despite featuring opera singers trying to play it cool after forgetting their lyrics, the music itself is *still* rousing enough to almost make FEELINGS happen –> through no fault of Ferrari’s actual performance. I feel emotionally violated and dirty.
Apart from Biles, who else really gave us a *performance* from start to finish? I really could’ve used me some Ponor / Thorsdottir / Wevers / Hernandez in this floor final…
omg tinkler medals on floor???
TIIIIIIIINKS! 😍😍😍
ferrari, if she would’ve just stuck that last landing even with her chest all low, she would’ve gotten an almost 15?? which would’ve been enough for bronze, but seems too high compared to aly’s score
it’s too high compared to Murakami, Fasana or Wang, IMO
I’m sad that the Simolympics is over now! Especially knowing that that was probably the last gymnastics we’ll see from Aly and possibly even Simone! Although I am looking forward to getting my sleeping pattern back in order…waking up at 3:45am this morning was a serious struggle.
Thanks for the updates BBS; it’s been fun!
US women got same numbers of medals as all the other countries combined! This is the realistic highest number of medals they can achieve. and they did just that. Final five is the FINAL word in gymnastic team performance.
Obviously much stronger than fierce five, though I still argue that there is a certain unique charisma to fierce five (mckayla vt scoring well over 16, which we didn’t see this time).
I believe aly and gabby is probably done. I would be surprised if simone call it done for good. She is still going really strong. I think she will be back after a year of break.
They could have had 10 honestly if Gabby hadn’t messed up in the UB final. Not sure why event finals are always so hard for her. Still proud of them, but I agree. The Fierce 5 had a special aura about them. It’s almost as if the Final 5 are so good they are less approachable somehow?
I actually don’t really count gabby as part of the medal. She did her job in qual and TF but she has this history of messing up in EF unfortunately. She is not as consistent on ub as ashton or Maddie. I think even you was also saying a goal of 9.
Agree, about The Fierce Five. I think it’s because they never considered winning a given. Their reaction after team final was so genuine and charming. This time around The Final Five had already chosen their name and choreographed how they were going to respond even before the meet started. And Aly (God love her) dragging them around and lining them up and telling them where to stand and when to wave. Kind of trying too hard to recreate the moment rather than letting the girls just have their own genuine reaction. That being said I have mad respect for them and they are so insanely dominant they deserved to be confident. And I do love both teams.
I think it’s because the fierce five were the first since the magnificent seven to win gold, whereas the final five are right after the fierce five. There’s also the fact that with the exception of Laurie, the final five are an older team with seasoned veterans. The fierve five were a young team, and that added a certain charm to them, too. Gold in 2012 was also less assured than it was in 2016 (we were the favorites, but not to the degree we were this time, and the AA was more of a toss-up). However, I still prefer the final five because they came, saw, and coquered like warriors.
The Fierce Five had more competition in the London Olympics. Russia sent a stronger team in 2012. Also, Romania’s team was very strong. The Final Five had zero competition. Absolutely zero. The non-American gymnastics WAG world is in a lull right now.
To me the Americans are so good (and the rest of the world so bad), that it’s become boring to watch WAG. As an American, I love to see us win, but it’s not so great for the sport.
Watching mens’ gymnastics is so exciting and competitive these days. It is a heart pounding thrill ride. I wish the women’s side of the sport becomes more competitive. I hope the other countries have some talented juniors coming through their ranks. I’ve seen a glimpse of the US juniors. They are STRONG. Trinity Thomas may provide real competition to Simone at the next Olympics.
I mean Romania in 2012 was no better than China or Russia in 2016. I actually think they overperformed in 2012.
The other thing to look at is the depth. Even with all the devaluations that happened this quad, 8th place would have beaten the 5th place team from London. We are moving away from the “Big 4”. It will take time for the other teams to catch up, assuming they keep going, but we are actually set up to have very nice depth in women’s gym in 8-12 years.
I totally agree this group America excluded Would have had trouble winning level 10 or jr Olympic in the U.S. I love ncaa and Brandie Jay Elizabeth Price Sabrina Schwab And multiple others woul have cleaned their collective clocks I really hope the world rises again to make it a good competition I still feel that given the stat of international gymnastics Marta should have taken Skinner rather than Gabby She really brought it to the trials We also would hav another medal on vault oh well it is better to crush the world than reward American work ethic Sponsors be damned Next time be fair
Aaand we have a man plummet …
I hate to say it but I’m glad it’s all over. The “Simone Show” was fun while it lasted. Hope the next quad is more challenging (i.e. Romania).
i’ll be surprised if simone doesn’t come back for 2020, i mean, she’s only 19
lord jesus, the uneven bars medalists form look immaculate, albeit they do easier skills than the men but still, everyone on the horizontal bars look visibly sloppy and the judging is all over the place. Why not do an easier routine and make up for it by being clean??
“Danell is busy planning his “remember that time I wasn’t on the team?” love note to Kevin Mazeika.”
LOVE. I think the argument to bring specialists instead of focusing on the team (for the men) has been answered. Leyva was alternate, and ends up winning two silvers…I love John, but no way was he ever winning two medals at the Olympics. Having him on the team over Danell was a stupid decision. Hopefully, the men’s coordinators finally wake up and realize this.
Lauren, I think that depends on what your goal is, and my impression is that the US programs’s stated goal has always been to put the team first, which is the way that they built this team.
It’s obvious the men’s coordinators’ goal is the team and nothing else, but it’s a dumb strategy that isn’t working. They should really be trying to optimize medal opportunities.
Fun finals. I thought Oleg was a little overscored on Pbars, but with his higher D score, I think he would have still won anyway, so no complaints. Leyva was on today. He and Naddour helped to redeem the men’s team a bit with their individual event medals.
High bar was great, too. I think the Top 3 were in the right spots. I like Wilson’s execution better than Mikulak’s. Still, poor Sam. So close to an Olympic medal! Again, Leyva was the savior. I thought picking Orozco over him was a bad choice because he could medal in Pbars and Hbar, and sure enough he did. And Fabian! Finally that gold medal! Really happy for him.
On to floor. Simone winning was no surprise. Not her absolute best, but still pretty amazing with that sky-high tumbling. A couple hops on landings, but those are the hardest passes in the world, so she deserves to take a hop! Aly–what can I say? She just keeps getting better as the games go on, which is amazing. I thought her score was a little low, but I was thinking 15.6, so only a tenth lower. I think Horton got a little too excited there about her potential. She gets hit for some of her dance elements. Definitely thought Amy Tinkler’s was the third best routine.
So happy for Simone. She pulled a 1992 Shannon Miller, except this time with majority gold! I hope she sticks around another four years. It’s been fun to watch her journey. And Aly! Six Olympic medals. Only one shy of Shannon. Superb Olympics for her!
I’m looking forward to both MAG & WAG finals tonight. My phone HAS USED Its max GB speed so I have to settle with NBC’s dreaded coverage. Anybody could have guessed the top 2 WAG FX medalists barring any fall or more than 2 OOB landings from Biles and/or Raisman. Re: MAG EF, it’s VT, FX, PB, & HB for me and forget about the rest (too boring, although Whitlock is very elegant on PH:). No way would Madison have won gold; Aaliyah had it in the cards after having lucked out with AA bronze thanks to her UB. Good luck to Gabby with the post Olymoic hatefest:(
Madison lost by less than a tenth. You can’t say there’s “no way” she would win gold. I think she and Aliyah were very close the whole tournament and either could have won any given Sunday. Yes, Aliyah tends to bring her best to the most important competitions, but this isn’t like Simone on floor/vault. UB was the closest event final.
I have to agree that this quad we can put a rest to US being weak on ub… they might not have the highest difficulty but the execution of the top two US bars workers is pretty much as good as anyone … and they def got some depth also… there are several US ub with 6.5+ d score…. the chinese did not bring their A game ub to rio… only mustafina did…
The Germans brought at least their A- game in bars. Certainly they outshone the Chinese and Brits.