In first subdivision news, Belgium has recorded the current team score to beat with 158.970. It’s a fine total, but it does include counting a mistake on both bars and beam.

Derwael was the star, going 55.564 in the all-around, hitting all four sets, and breaking 15 on bars for a routine that will surely make the final. We also learned that it’s not 2017 worlds anymore as she got an E score over 8.5 on beam.

A really tight fight among the other two teams in subdivision 1 ended up with Poland ahead of Argentina by less than a tenth, 149.671 to 149.603. They are both in my top 24 but on the lower end, so that difference could be significant. Other teams will be looking at hitting 150 now as the “phew, we’re in the top 24” goal.

And now to Sub 2.

SUBDIVISION 2

Subdivision 2 features Japan, a team we expect to advance comfortably to TF, South Korea’s new senior Yeo Seojeong hoping to make the vault final, as well as what should be a fascinating performance by a depleted Australian side. We’re not really sure what sort of finish to expect from them. Middle of the pack? Troubling? Time will tell. Also Chuso. Chuso things.

Japan starts on vault, Australia on floor, Chuso on a bye.

I feel like Chuso needs to switch nationalities again. Like Elizabeth Taylor with husbands. I suggest representing the nation of Chusotania.

Australian federation is like, “A sack. I feel like we should outfit you in a sack. Jackets don’t need to fit.”

Digging how Mai doesn’t bother touching the table on her vault timer.

Rotation 1

Hatakeda – VT – she’s literally shaking up there waiting for 80000 minutes. Modaro has already finished floor, and vault is yet to begin.

9.033 for Castaneda on beam for CRC.

Hatakeda – VT – for real now – Y1.5 – fairly clean in the air – hop to the side and out of the area.

Modaro opens floor with 12.600. Very good.

Salas – CRC on beam – switch to wolf, OK – standing back tuck and falls – loso to back pike, hit –

13.533 for Hatakeda.

Kajita – VT – Yfull with a hop back. I believe she was not in the original vault lineup and Sugihara was. Errrrrr. 13.333.

Yun Narae finishes on bars with a basically straddled giant full – nice piked jaeger though – double pike, step to the side.

Teramoto – VT – rudi – hit it, landed pretty far over, some legs in the air, but well done, and the difficulty will bring in a big score.

14.433 for Teramoto

12.366 for GRB on floor

Whitehead – FX – hop forward on double arabian – 1.5 to layout, good – pretty short on some of these leaps – double tuck, staggers back – double pike, bounce back.

Murakami – VT – DTY – strong DTY, good power as always, what looked like a medium hop back, not too much legs

14.433 for Murakami on vault as well. She can do better.

12.533 for Whitehead. They’re stuck in the 12s, but with the low scores on floor at Australian Classic, I was worried, and I’ll def take these numbers. They’d love Eade to get them to the 13s.

Eade – FX – switch 1/2, short – nice control on DLO – 1.5 through to double back, cowboys on the double – front tuck through to 2/1, very secure – wolf double, but put her hand down (maybe was going for a triple), which really should be considered a fall. We’ll see what they do with it – double pike, legs aprat, small hop. Form issues but good power in tumbling. Just interested in that wolf turn.

42.399 for Japan on vault. For comparison Belgium went 40.799. Japan has much more difficulty, so would have liked a bigger margin than that, but it works.

12.900 for Eade. Judges viewed the hand down on wolf charitably. 38.033 for Australia on floor. Belgium went 39.265.

Japan to bars. Australia to a bye, Korea to beam, Chuso to vault.

Rotation 2

Teramoto just had kind of a scary gienger fall in the warmup, but she’s fine.

Nekrasova 12.808 on vault.

12.633 for Lee Eun Ju on beam.

Kajita – UB – Nabieva to Pak, hit with some leg breaks – Shap 1/2, good – stalder 1/2, quite late, connected to nice high piked jaeger – stalder full, some more legs – FTDT, arches down but just a small step. Good. She has consistency issues, so they needed that hit.

It’s like Nekrasova is waiting to do a second vault, but she didn’t sign up for one…

The timer judge on floor has a lot of whispered comments to make during this floor routine from Salas.

13.550 from Kajita on bars. Second to Derwael.

Chuso – VT – posted the rudi but astutely did the handspring layout full as expected, good, normal, usual

Murakami – UB – toe on – toe shap to gienger, a little close but caught – solid piked jaeger, very efficient, same with regular jaeger – toe full to bail to toe shoot – short hs – FTDT, stuck. Pretty much a usual routine for her.

13.666 for Mai.

14.300 for Chuso’s first vault.

Chuso – VT 2 – Tsuk 1.5 – nice, nearly controlled it but a step to the side and out of the area

Teramoto – UB – inabr 1/2 to piked jaeger, solid – stalder full, some crazy legs – very close on her gienger with a leg break – good jaeger – not a ton of amplitude on these releases, though – FTDT, excellent stick. The gienger will hurt her score. Probably tentative on it after that fall in the warmup, so came really close on it.

Kim Jury anchors beam for KOR – some checks here and there to break some connections, but nice extension in her acro elements – dismount 2/1 in series, stuck.

Chuso averages 14.200. Into first of course for the moment.

13.400 for Teramoto. 7.9 E

Hatakeda – UB – inbar – toe full – toe Shap 1/2, good lift – inbar 1/2 to high piked jaeger – Ricna, a little McMurtry-shaped – bail slightly crooked – FTDT, small hop forward. Definitely take that. She stands out in this rotation because she has a lot more amplitude in releases than most Japanese UB workers.

13.800 for Hatakeda, the top JPN score. Appropriate.

Japan at 83.415 after two events. KOR at 74.733. Having finished bars and beam, I like KOR’s chances of outscoring Poland and Argentina, but they’ll need some vaults.

Scores look like Nekrasova did get to do a second vault after all, even though she only is listed as doing one on the start list.

Japan moves to beam. Sugihara was supposed to anchor this lineup, so we’ll see how Kajita fares going in her place.

Rotation 3

Hatakeda – BB – punch front, check – aerial, check – straddle to wolf – side aerial with pretty big lean to the side – switch to switch 1/2, a little short on switch 1/2 but not bad – bhs loso, secure – well styled out on the full turn that was overturned a little – double pike, quite good with a step back.

Does Lee Eun Ju’s floor music begin with a duck call and then someone laughing?

Modaro and Eade 13.400 and 13.500 on their fulls.

13.133 for Hatakeda on beam. Breaks 8 in E score with all those big wobbles. It’s a different year.

Teramoto – BB – double turn, check – onodi – loso series, controlled – aerial to split to straddle, solid – side aerial, also good, moves out of it confidently to avoid wobbly – good height and extension on switch 1/2, a little arm wave – switch to side somi piked to make it look non-terrible –  3/1 dismount, gets it around, lunge back. Another good one for her.

Nicely controlled Yfull landing from GRB. They’ll count these three mid-13s. Whitehead went for a Y1.5 but struggled and the score will be dropped.

Nekrasova – UB – bail, fairly piked with some legs, and then goes over the wrong way on a toe full – double pike, large bound forward.

Also a 13.133 for Teramoto on beam.

Yeo – FX – nicccceeee DLO shape in the air, hop back – 2.5 to layout – 1.5 to rudi – double pike, hop back –

Murakami – BB – wobbles right away on switch split leap mount – aerial is good – bhs loso, hit – side aerial, strong – punch front, hit – double pike, pace back with a second step. That one wobble early was cause for nervousness, but she pulled it together after that.

13.433 for Mai. Three very good scores for Japan will take the pressure off Kajita.

12.966 for Yeo on floor

Kajita – BB – round off to back layout, two feet mount, pikes it down with a small check but well done t o hit – aerial to split to wolf, lovely extension – bhs loso, completely loses her direction and falls. This is what can be frustrating about Kajita because some of these split skills are so lovely, and that switch ring was real – side aerial, strong – 2.5 dismount, deep with a bounce back to save it.

Japan at 123.114 after three events. Korea at 112.005. So KOR needs 38 on vault to hit that 150 total.

Rotation 4

Teramoto has filed an inquiry on her beam score. She’s already down in 4th there.

Kajita – FX – 3/1, mostly around, just hops it the last 1/8 of a turn – double Y, more like 2.5 Y – 2.5 to front, quite deep landing, pulls it out – some tighter twisting leaps – front 2/1, small hop – split jump 1/1 was good – double tuck, forward with a hop.

Chuso is getting her beam on. Wolf turning and then telling you she’s been doing wolf turns since before you were born, which is true. Good double tuck dismount, step back.

12.400 for Kajita. The one they’ll want to drop.

Hatakeda – FX – double Y attempt – close? – full in, step back – switch 1/1, may only get switch 1/2 credit – 2.5 to front tuck, secure, legs in twisting – switch, split leap 1.5, also borderline on getting the leap credit – doubel pike, large bounce back and OOB.

Modaro – UB – piked jaeger, hit – lowish – small amoung of legs on Pak – has to muscle up handstand after shoot to high – FTDT, hop forward – hit – 12.400.

12.466 for Hatakeda.

Teramoto – FX – double L, will get credit, took it more than two turns – two whips to 3/1, small step, nice and quick – front 2/1, small hop, more ragged legs in that one – triple turn – switch 1/1, that was around – 2.5, right to the edge but keeps it in by not stepping at all – switch – split 1/1 – oooooooh double pike with a large stumble backward and OOB. It was going so well!

12.500.

53.466 AA for Teramoto. Currently 2nd to Derwael.

Japan weaker than expected through the first three floor routines, but now it’s MAI TIME.

Murakami – FX – triple turn – double double tuck, step back, keeps it in bounds – DLO, small hop as well – 2.5 to front full, really keeping the hop size to a minimum, which will serve her score well – switch ring – split 1.5, very quick, gets it around – double L, quite good – double pike, small bounce back. Good. Did her thing.

GRB gets through bars with a nice hit. 13.400.

14.100 for Mai on floor. That’s the top score by a ton so far on floor.

Japan finishes 162.180, a little more than three points better than Belgium.

Australia getting the job done. Should be third overall after this subdivision, even if beam gets beamy.

Mai goes 55.632 jussssssstttt ahead of Derwael, which tells you how well Derwael did. Mai had kind of a normal day for herself, and Derwael is right there.

Rotation 5

Whitehead – BB – punch front mount, hit – split and straddle, fine – bhs back pike series and falls – punch front, as secure as the mount – wolf double, pretty high position like Marz – aerial, small check – side aerial, secure – 1.5 dismount, large bound forward.

11.566.

Kim Jury 13.100 on vault. 13.300 for Ham.

Modaro – BB – also with a front tuck mount, also well done – bhs bhs two-foot layout, hit, small adjustment – sissone to wolf – back tuck, small lean – full turn – switch to switch 1/2, does well to spring herself up to 180 there – aerial, pauses in connection before swingdown – side split 1/2 – bhs bhs 1.5 with hop forward. Super secure routine. Well done.

12.633.

Yeo – VT 1 – rudi – really well done, finishes early enough, small hop back, some legs. 14.566.

Nedov – BB – bhs bhs layout 2 feet – leg-up wobble but pretty in the air – aerial to split, some legs in aerial – side split 1/2, leg up again – switch to split – switch ring, foot – front tuck, adjustment slide back – double pike, just got it around, short with a lunge forward. But a hit, a necessary hit.

Just 11.933 for Nedov. That’s a shame, but there were a few leg-up wobbles in there.

Hit DTY for Yeo as well – easily into first on vault – Yeo and Chuso will both like their chances for the final.

A very nice 52.040 for Yeo in the AA as well, which puts her 5th (after 2 per)

GRB – BB – bhs loso, nowhere close to being able to save, a second fall for Australia on beam – aerial – split from side position, small adjustment – tentative on switch and pauses before sissone and wolf, another check – side somi, good – Y spin with a check – she’s working nervously but the lovely qualities are there as always – 2/1, small hop

Just 11.133 for GRB, which means Australia finishes .006 behind South Korea. Both got into the 153s, ahead of Poland and Argentina.

And yes, I have decided to ignore the fact that Mai Murakami looked like she was limping after floor. LA LA LA LA LA LA LA.

We have our first two-per-ing, with Hatakeda finishing behind Murakami and Teramoto in the AA, but that was to be expected. It actually came closer than I thought between her and Teramoto.

Meet back here for the US? (Though I believe the NED subdivision will be streamed on AlKass, if’n you want to watch it.)

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It’s US time, people.

Since we left, Germany has moved into second in the team standings and the Netherlands into third, both ahead of Belgium. Germany has recorded the highest team bars score so far because Germany, and Sanne broke the 14 barrier on beam for the Netherlands, so it’s all going to be OK. Well, not for Tisha Volleman, who got a 0 on vault. But yes for Naomi Visser, who currently sits 4th AA after 2-per.

We had some questions about Germany’s beam coming in because gahhhhhhh and also Euros, so Germany hitting three beam routines for scores over 13 is a huge deal. Euros is a distant memory.

South Korea and Australia’s team scores are holding up very well, while Hungary and Ukraine will be disappointed in their results, down in 8th and 9th when they would have been expected to be at 5th and 6th right now. Varinska missed on bars, but she does currently sit in 5th on beam.

SUBDIVISION 5

After the Simone kidney stone drama, she’s ready to compete today. She’s got to keep things interesting for us.

New Zealand has the unison waving down for the intro. As does Slovakia. US was close, but no cigar.

US will move to bars for the warmup. Laurent is wearing multiple credentials like a harness.

Rotation 1

Hurd – UB – Inbar Shap to stalder full to tkatchev, hit well – Ricna to Pak, legs together – stalder shoot – inbar 1/2 = inbar 1/1, late connected to FTDT with step back. Quite nice. Identical to what we’ve seen from her in training.

14.366 for Hurd, into 4th overall behind Derwael, Seitz, and Adlerteg.

Meaghan Smith with a handspring front pike on vault, two lunges forward.

McCallum – UB – Weiler 1/2 to stalder Shap to tkatchev, good, small arch in hs – Pak with legs – stalder Shap 1/2, good – toe on – toe full, late, to FTDT, just a hop in place. A good hit after we saw that miss in PT. Some more leg breaks and feet and things, but comfortable.

Bunce – FX – popa – double tuck, solid, small hop – 2.5, step forward – switch – split full, almost there – front full, some knees and whatnot there – triple spin, may get credit, she got all three around but was sort of stumbling through the last 1/2 turn – 2/1, solid hit.

14.100 for McCallum. E score higher than Hurd. ? They must have really not liked Hurd’s finishing position on the inbar 1/1.

McCusker – UB – stalder full – Toe Shap to tkatchev – Ricna to Pak, legs on the Pak, more than her usual – Shap 1/2 nice – a short hs before dismount – deeeeeep landing in dismount with a lunge forward but pulled it out. Not all the connections. A hit, but not McCusker’s best routine or highest difficulty.

Hurd is inquiring about bars.

Oooooh. 14.133 for McCusker. That’s below Hurd. Very significant. Only 5.7 D.

Morgan Hurd is up to 14.466. She got an extra tenth.

Biles – UB – Weiler 1/2 to Shap Shap to tkatchev, hit – pulls back an arch on HB well – full to piked tkatchev to Pak, lovely – toe SHap 1/2 – double double tucked, perfect. One issue there, the arch on a handstand, but newsflash: Simone is strong.

6.2/14.866 for Simone on bars. #Simonethings. That puts her into second on bars, ahead of Seitz. She’ll make that final too.

No worried for the US team score there, but we have news nonetheless in that bars rotation as McCusker will not make the bars final and is behind Hurd in the AA on an event where she needed an advantage.

Rotation 2

Hurd – BB – back full, lean to the side but hit it – side aerial, no trouble – bhs loso series, leg-up check – she’s rushing a little – aerial to split to straddle with another check – switch – side split 1/2 – switch ring, hit – she’s looking more calm and secure in the second 1/2 here – double pike with a 0.3 hop back.

A perfectly fine hit. Too many wobbles for her taste, but nothing too bad. Will be tough to make EF from this US team with that routine, though. We’ll see if she let McCusker back in.

13.466. Good enough for 3rd right now.

McCusker – BB – triple wolf, strong – same with the double – aerial to split to straddle, comfortable – bhs loso loso and she falls. Off line, no chance to save, not Riley’s day on her good pieces – excellent switch 1/2 in combination after that – side aerial – bhs bhs double tuck, step back.

Testament to McCusker that she falls and still goes 13.100. It’s not looking good for her 2-per chances, but she’s def within a fall of Hurd still if things get weird on floor.

Eaker – switch mount and split ring leap – Y spin, check – aerial to split ring leap to bhs with that lovely choreo out of it – side aerial to loso to loso nailed – split leap to side somi – switch ring to bhs, excellent switch ring there – switch 1/2 with a pause to swingdown – switch to switch side – bhs bhs 2.5 with hop forward.

Excellent set from Eaker. VERY interested to see what the judges do with it.

Long wait on the score for Eaker. I wonder if we have some disagreements on connections.

14.466 for Eaker, puts her into first on beam, ahead of Sanne. So that’s that. It’s not the 15s she was getting at home—it was never going to be—but it leads the way so far. E score of 8.066 tells me they weren’t happy with the rings, though.

Biles – BB – fastest triple wolf turn ever – sissone to wolf – barani, secure – bhs loso loso, nailed – switch to switch 1/2, check before back pike to break combo – front pike, arm wave – aerial to split to straddle – bhs bhs full in with a bounce back – great routine.

14.800 for Biles. We have a new beam leader, to the surprise of no one. Biles and Eaker are 1-2 on beam and will make the final.

Bauyrzhanova a stumble back and a fall on her bars dismount.

Simone is well enough to dance to the rotation song.

McCusker is currently seven tenths behind Hurd in the AA race going to floor and vault.

Rotation 3

Hurd – FX – double double tuck, good, smallest slide back – DLO, nailed, piked down a little toward the end – switch ring and split 1.5, looks like she got the 1.5 around – front layout to front full – Ferrari, hit – split jump 1/1 – double pike, no trouble.

Very composed elements from Hurd there. She’s on today. As she was in PT.

13.933 puts Hurd in 2nd on floor behind Mai.

Isabella Brett having a time on bars, unfortunately.

McCallum – FX – double double tuck, controlled – front layout to front 2/1, step forward – wolf double – switch ring to switch 1/2 – 3/1, a little bounce back, keeps it in bounds – double tuck, just a hair short with a hop. Much better than in PT on this routine as well.

13.800 for McCallum, in behind Hurd in the standings, so no EF for her on floor.

Lots of Nastia Flyaways on bars today.

McCusker – FX – pike full in, good control – split full, well extended – front 2/1 to front tuck to stag, crossed legs – wolf triple – double pike with a stagger bounce back and OOB both feet – double tuck, very solid. One iffy landing, but good to get a hit in there for her.

13.266 for McCusker.

Fishwick – UB – toe shap to bail, small arch but saves it – toe shoot – giant full – blind change to piked jaeger, good – also just a flyaway dismount.

Biles – FX – double double layout, good obviously and controls the bounce well – Biles to stag – switch – split 1.5, got it around – front full through to full-in, little hop – wolf double – full in, another small bounce.

She stayed in bounds!

15.333 for Simone on floor. Her highest floor of the year. Also more than a point ahead of anyone else.

Rotation 4

US on a bye rotation now. New Zealand on beam.

Fishwick – BB – back dive handstand mount – switch to wolf with a check – bhs loso, tight but hit, small arm wave – side aerial, hit – double spin, very good – back tuck with a wobble but keeps it on the beam – gainer full off the end, step back, nice!

Castro hits a full on vault –

Nice piked jaeger from Vydureckova on bars, but she’s going to get annihilated for these handstand positions.

Chiukina – FX – may not get credit for her opening 3/1, but good control on landing – Y spin full – double pike, stuck, feet but stuck – switch ring and split full, probably won’tget that full – layout as her third pass – split ring – I feel like they should try to load up more on spins in this routine, Dutch style – front 1/1 –

Bunce – UB – toe shap to bail to toe on to toe shoot – well done – tkatchev, hit – giant full – 1.5 twist dismount with hop. Good job.

Theocharous won’t stop grabbing her shoulder before vault, so that’s not a great sign. But hits a Tsuk back pike

Brett – BB – holds on for her loso mount – straight 1/1 from side, nice – bhs loso, small check working out – split to wolf, good – switch 1/2 is well short with a leg-up lean – side aerial, quite solid – side split 1/2 – 2/1, dismount, hop in place. Pretty great after the ount save.

Rotation 5

McCusker – VT – DTY is pretty short with a lunge forward. She’s not having a day like she did at nationals. Or at selection camp. It can be hard to stay peaked all that time. 14.266.

McCusker went 54.765, so we’ll keep that in mind before the WHAT A TOUGH DAY FOR MCCUSKER takes, but she would have expected a lot better and would have hoped for a 56 here.

McCallum – VT – one of her comfortable DTYs, hop back, no trouble.

McCallum – VT 2 – 1/2 on tuck 1/2, a really easy vault for her, completed comfortably, lunge back. Not a lot of difficulty on that one, but with this vault field, she’s into 5th with a 14.066 average.

Hurd – VT – her usual DTY in almost every way, lunge back. She had a good one.

56.465 AA score for Hurd puts her into first place. For about 11 seconds.

Biles – VT – she does the Biles – small hop forward. 6.4 D. We officially have a new vault in the code.

Oh also a casual 15.966. You know.

60.965 AA score for Biles.

Biles  – VT  2 – oh yeah also I have an Amanar – pace forward. Great.

So yeah I feel like Simone is fine?

Simone’s AA score here was only 1.2 lower than her Olympic AA winning score. Which is insane with the score lowering.

And last time Simone won worlds, she did it with 60.399. In the previous code.

So anyway, Simone is winning the AA. Hurd is second and will advance to the AA final with Biles. The US leads Japan in the team standings by 12 points. Biles leads VT, BB, FX and is second to Derwael on UB. Eaker will also make the beam final and Hurd will make the floor final. Hurd is 4th on bars and has a shot to make that final, but Russia, China, and GB will still compete tomorrow. Similar position for McCallum, who is 5th on vault and will hope to hold on but has Russians to get through. No individual finals for McCusker.

Interested to see what events McCusker is called upon to do in TF. Surely she’ll do bars, but the US will have some decisions to make on beam and floor because any of the four could easily go. Based on today alone, you’d go with Hurd, Eaker, Biles on beam and McCallum, Hurd, Biles on floor, but it hasn’t always looked like that in the lead up and would mean both Biles and Hurd have to do all four in the TF and again in the AA final.

It will get lost, but a really nice day for McCallum. Super solid on all her events, much more comfortable looking than podium training.

One more subdivision to go today, Italy and Jamaica.

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SUBDIVISION 6

Jamaica did the Bolt in its choreographed intro.

One of the individuals is in a UCLA leo.

Italy starts on the bye. OOOOH. By the way, TWO of the subdivisions tomorrow will have an empty rotation. But by all means, we needed five groups.

The international feed is tough because they don’t know that we want to be watching Tienna Nguyen try her new floor turn right now.

Nygaard – UB – NOR – giant full, was going to praise the amazing verticality, but it was too much and she has to go over and comes off the bars. Gets it the second time – good Jaeger – bail – double pike, nearly holds the stick. Nice style and ability.

Belanyi VT – handspring front tuck, hop forward. She follows an 11.766 from Olafsdottir. 12.600.

Oh, were back to showing Nguyen on F on replay now

Does the L turn down to wolf turn. It’s weird but cool. Not sure she really got a wolf turn around to give it credit, but I’d want to see it again. I don’t think they’re gooing to like how indistinct it is between how much of the double turn is L and how much is wolf.

12.033 for Francis on beam. Hope we get to see it,

Fosse finishes bars with a nice double pike, coming off a fall earlier in the routine where she straddled the bar in the middle of a pirouette.

These bars judges cannot handle it when someone falls today.

Erichsen – UB – piked jaeger, close catch, straddled Pak – nice amplitude on toe shoot – blind full, FTDT with step forward. Good routine.

Shot of grown woman drinking milk out of a baby’s bottle?

Rotation 2

Mori – VT – crazy run, solid full, not the biggest or most extended, but controlled landing, a little short, hop in place. 13.366.

Lanza – VT – Y1.5 – sits it down. Oof. She has put up good vault scores in the past. Well short on this one. 12.566.

Belanyi – UB – giant full – falls on jaeger. Oof. Iceland needed that score after a low number from Suto-Tuuha. And a fall on DLO dismount as well. Oh dear, my Icelandic babies.

I see that we’re seeing the crowd instead of Danusia on floor. Noted.

Fun fact: When the AlKass commentator says “Julie Erichsen” it sounds like “Julie Erection”

12.066 for Danusia on floor. Similar to the beam score.

Adalsteinsdottir – UB – nice toe point – Toe Shap with legs to Pak, also legs – toe shoot – giant full – 1/2 turn to jaeger, caught – 1.5 twist dismount, stuck. Nice job!

Olafsdottir – Shap, struggles to catch and adds extra swing – pak – toe shoot – piked jaeger is hit – giant full – tucked Canada dismount, step forward

40.932 for Italy on vault. That’s better than what the Netherlands and Belgium did there. Must get through bars and beam now.

Fosse – FX – Y spin – double pike, nice, good control – switch ring is short – split full OK – L turn – hands down on double tuck. Popa – 1.5 to front tuck, cowboy, got it around.

Kristinsdottir – BB – bhs loso, hit – side aerial, hit with arm wave – switch to switch 1/2 – split to sissone – side somi, lands it too far forward and has to come off beam – side split 1/2, pretty short of split – 1.5 dismount, lunge forward

We’re still waiting on the opening bars score for Rizzelli for Italy…….

10.700 for Kristinsdottir.

Vault is already done and we don’t have the first bars score yet. That concerns me for what this routine must have been like, and also why the bars judging has been so slow today.

And after all that it’s a 12.800 for Rizzelli. That’s good! That’s not even a fall! What were you dealing with, judges?

Lanza – UB – Toe on piked tkatchev to pak, well hit, some crazy legs on Pak – Shap to bail – good – toe full – toe shoot – clear hip – oooooh it wa going so well…until a fall on the 1/2 turn double back dismount, hand down.

We see so many falls on that dismount.

Still a 12.100 for Lanza. Not disastrous.

Søderstrøm – FX – double pike with a two-step shuffle back, kept it in bounds – drops double Y a little too early – split leap 1/1, good – 2/1, legs crossed, secure landing – switch ring – front full with lunge fotward

12.633 for Mori on bars.

Ricciardi – UB -seeing just the end of it because they couldn’t be bothered – bail, hit – stalder shoot – giant full  – 1/2 turn to wonky 1.5 dismount with hop tot he side

12.600 for Ricciardi. 78.965 for Italy. On track to be in 6th after this subdivision. It would be trouble if we were expecting TF from this Italian team, but I don’t think many of us were.

Rotation 4

Adalsteinsdottir – FX – split leap 15, huge run into it and may have got it around – double tuck, lunge back – L turn to full turn – 2/1, bounce back – switch ring and split ring are nice – 1.5 to layout to stag – a hit. Good use of dying at the end of her choreography

12.766 for Lanza on beam. So she has a hit under her belt today.

Francis goes 13.333 for her Yfull. Would need 12.5ish on bars to hit the 50 mark.

Nguyen – UB – tkatchev, super close and loses her legs on catch – Pak – stalder 1/2 is nice – front stalder 1/2 as well – stalder full – toe shoot – double tuck dismount with lunge forward

12.833 on beam for Ricciardi.

Richmon – VT – Jamaica – handspring front tuck with hop forward

Francis – VT – Jamaica – good full, a little short, small hop forward, good shape in the air – 8.733 E seems comparatively low for that to me.

12.233 for Basile

Mori – BB – ro loso mount, good – bhs loso loso, hit with a check, some feet – side somi, solid – side split 1/2, hit it – switch is good – side aerial to split to wolf, nice high split – Y spin, and comes off the beam. Oh Lara. 2/1 dismount, step back.

12.800 for Mori.

Italy needs just a 36 on floor to get ahead of South Korea for 6th. That should be a very easy score to get, but it’s an adjustment of expectations that catching Belgium and the Netherlands looks impossible at this point. Next year…

Rotation 5

Nguyen – BB – wolf double, gets it around – bhs layout to two feet, pretty nice height on that, breaks connection into split jump – aerial to straddle to sissone, strong – switch, pause – switch 1/2, check – side aerial – side split 1/2, actually nice split position there – annnnd sits her double tuck dismount.

That routine was so excellent until the dismount so I’m off to jump in a volcano now.

12.666 on floor for Lanza.

Ricciardi goes 12.833. These are all perfectly acceptable scores.

Basile – FX – DLO, really good, small hop – double arabian, step forward – split ring leap – 2.5 to front tuck, legs crossed – split leap 1/1 – switch 1/2 – double pike. Good routine. They’re hitting well on floor.

Danusia fell on bars.

13.233 for Basile.

Mori – FX – whip to full in, shuffles back out of it and OOB with a little stubmle to try to keep herself from going any more OOB – nice double Y to illusion turn combo, definite credit – 2.5 to layout – 3/1, legs, secure – switch side 1/2, very high – double pike, no trouble. The OOB will be an issue though.

13.400 for Mori even with the OOB. She’s 5th there now (after 2-per), but with a whole day to go, that may not be a safe proprosition.

Italy finishes with 156.830, indeed into 6th.

After day 1,

It’s Biles, Hurd, Murakami, and Derwael leading the AA.
The top 8 on vault are Biles, Yeo, Chuso, Pyon, McCallum, Kim, Nekrasova, Ryan
The top 8 on bars are Derwael, Biles, Seitz, Hurd, Adlerteg, Bui, Hatakeda
The top 8 on beam are Biles, Eaker, Wevers, Derwael, Murakami, Varinska, Klinckaert, Hatakeda
The top 8 on floor are Biles, Murakami, Hurd, Volleman, Mori, Derwael, Basile, Klinckaert
The top 8 team are USA, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Korea, Australia.

I know Australia wasn’t super thrilled with its performance, but 8th after the first day is a good result. South Korea will also be super pleased.

Six really strong teams left to go tomorrow (China, Russia, France, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain), along with other presumed top-24 qualifiers like Spain. Then we get into Mexico and Romania, both hoping for a spot, as well as Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Egypt. So that tight Poland/Argentina area is still sort of the cutoff I’m looking at. The teams right below that, like Austria, Portugal, and Colombia, are in trouble.