Finals start tonight in Liverpool as we save the best for…first I guess….with the women’s team final.

The US women qualified in first position by 2.668 ahead of Great Britain and have taken a slight risk by putting Leanne Wong in the bars lineup despite not using her on bars in qualification. The Brazilians qualified in 3rd while counting a beam fall from Saraiva, while the Italians and Chinese qualified in 4th and 6th while counting beam falls from almost everyone. So the medal race is afoot.

If everyone does what they did in qualifications, the US would be in first and GB would be in second throughout the competition, so keep an eye on whether either of them drop from those positions at any point because that will mean that they aren’t maintaining the margin from qualification.

Brazil and Italy are in the rotations that end on floor and vault, which gives an advantage to Brazil, so Brazil wouldn’t mind trailing Italy by a little at the halfway point, while Italy will want a major advantage after two events. As for China, we’ll know after the first rotation whether they are in this thing or not based on how much they are able to improve on that 39.199 beam score from qualification. A 40 on beam would keep China afloat from the start, and a 42 (which is totally doable but would be big), would put them squarely in the medal and more zone.

What I’m sitting with here is that there’s not a team in the medal hunt here that doesn’t seem……kind of beam meltdowny. So that’s going to determine a lot.

We’re still in the extended crowd sing-a-long portion of the meet in case you were wondering. You know, gymnastics.

Flavia confirmed as doing only bars today. ALAS. That really hurts Brazil’s medal chances. They’re losing multiple points having to use Pedro instead.

There’s sure a lot of crowd-amping happening for the meet already being three minutes late.

They have lights projecting the name of each event onto the apparatus, and the one on bars says “Horizontal Bar.” No, sorry, you’ve misunderstood.

Intros happening now. They have an opportunity to do team dances and Japan has already won. I’m sorry, go home all other teams.

Ellie Black already successfully walked off the intro stage the wrong direction because hero.

Intros done, no one lived up to Japan, and we’re ready for the touch warmup.

Rotation 1

Boyer with sold control on her double tuck first pass – split leap full, clean – double pike, bounce back –

Sakaguchi – BB – Japan – switch to split to straddle, secure – side aerial to loso, arm wave check – switch ring, holds it, slight check – aerial, large break, may have touched the beam, but kept it on

Chiles – VT – very strong DTY, good direction, little hop

Oliveira – UB – maloney to pak to toe on to van leeuwen, hit – blind to front giant full, a litlte late into piked jaeger, clean – double front 1/2 out is good, little hop

14.400 first score. Solid, but a little lower than in qualification.

Kinsella – VT – good DTY, larger bounce back, and a bit more leg form in the block than Chiles. 14.133

Villa – UB – Italy – tkatchev to pak to maloney, good – bhardwaj, clean – van leeuwen – front fgiant full – scoots back center – FTDT, stuck. AMAZING.14.166

Tang – BB – China – loso mount is very good – ro layout 2 feet, right on – switch to split ring jump, pause before bhs – and now it’s a fall. Oh it was going so perfectly to start with. And now a second fall on her aerial, well fall onto the beam as she grabs it and pushes herself back up – double pike, short, hands down. Oh China.

Jones – VT – lands a bit short on her DTY today, not her strongest, lunge forward – just 13.933

Saraiva – UB – toe full to piked tkatchev to pak, straddle but hit – toe on to maloney to geinger, solid – short cast hs on high – double front dismount, little ginger hop to the side. good hit but it looked ouchie on the landing. 13.666

DJDS – FX – FTDT, nice, small slide back – front loso to double tuck, small slide back – double pike, another solidly controlled pass, small hop back

Jes Gadirova – VT – good distance and chest up on DTY, though another large lunge back. 14.200

Maggio – UB – falls on her opening Ray, the same thing she did in the touch warmup. Second fall on a connected Tkatchev – she does hit her double Arabian dismount.

Brazil’s like – WE’RE BACK TO LIFE.

Carey – VT – solid normal Cheng for her, good control on the landing, minor hop to the side. 14.800

Tang’s score finally comes is as 10.700. Gut punch to me.

Yamada – BB – wolf double, solid – swtich, pretty – bhs loso, arm wave check – deep front tuck but holds it onto the beam – aerial, fine – wolf to sissone

Achampong – VT – good height on her DTY, slight off direction, bounce back, some leg crossing.

Black – FX – double pike with a lunge back OOB – front 2/1 to front tuck, little hop – split leap full, some back leg – switch full, short of split – lands shy on her 2.5 with a couple steps back.

11.700 for Maggio on bars.

Andrade – UB – maloney to stalder full to piked tkatchev to pak to van leeuwen, wonderful – piked jaeger, good – toe full to FTDT, two small steps back. Good one.

The US went 43.133 on vault, which is .133 lower than qualification, mostly due to Jones’ short landing.

14.366 for Achampong. 42.699 for GB on vault.

Ou – BB – fhs to front tuck, secure – switch to switch 1/2, small pause before korbut, just a tad off line but fine – qa couple checks but staying on – 2.5 dismount goes somewhat awry, a lunge and then another step off the mat. Apparently she also had some issue with her sitting on the beam mount.

14.633 for Andrade –

Alice D’Amato – UB – maloney to tkatchev, hit – piked ricna to pak to van leeuwen and she falls as well

Friess sits her opening pass on floor.

Brazil 41.499 is a big improvement over qualification, which they needed going to beam.

Ou almost dying 8 times and going over 14.2 is my thing.

Miyata – BB – check on switch mount – secure layout 2 feet – switch to sissone, hit, a little short – aerial to split jump to bhs, smooth – side aerial, check – side somi, large lean forward at the hips, stays on – double pike, very short, large stumble forward

D’Amato 13.500 with the fall on bars.

Italy is down over 3 points on their qualification score on bars.

Miyata 13.233

Luo – BB – lovely front walkover mount – ro layout 2 feet and falls, though she might be able to save it after grabbing the beam – switch, check before split ring to a lovely bhs combo – switch ring, perfect, but pause before split to bhs – aerial to stag ring to korbut, good – full turn, check – wolf jump to sissone – looks like they took out that Yurchenko loop – doubel tuck, very deep but landed.

Canada 39.133 on floor.

The US, GB, and Brazil the winners of the first rotation. Also the top 3 in the standings. Brazil the only team that improved on its Q score on its first event.

Rotation 2

We’re still waiting on Luo’s score. 12.400. So yes China is in last after one rotation. And it was beam. So that happened.

Villa – BB – loso mount. check – ro tuck full, SHE HIT IT – wolf triple is nice – switch to split, check – double turn, smooth – side aerial, good – 2/1, bounce back. A hit!

“Everyone is a disaster but me” – Giorgia Villa

Jes Gadirova – pause is first cast – piked jaeger, a bit close – tkatchev 1/2 to a wildly tucked yezhova, she’s still on? – maooney to pak is hit – van leeuwen, sall leg break – gaint full – FTDT, holds the stick.

Soares has fallen on her loso series.

Sakaguchi – FX – FTDT, solid, step abck – popa – 3/1, lovely, step back – switch ring, some back leg position – back 1.5 to front lay, little hop – 2.5, stuck landing. excellent.

JAPAN.

Black – VT – handspring front layout full – good control on landing, small hop, knees and some pike

Chiles – UB – toe full to piked tkatchev to pak, clean – maliney to gienger, just a bit of elbows – solid cast hs – piked jaeger – casts – bail + toe shoot – FTDT, small hop. Solid hit. 14.100

DJDS – VT – deep alanding on DTY, lunge forward

Maggio – BB – hits switch mount – bhs loso loso, solid – switch ring, hit – side aeiral, arm wave – aerial, hit – side somi and falls – oh Martina –

Kinsella – UB – toe 1/2 to piked jaeger, solid, a little low – stalder tkatchev piked to pak – maloney to gienger, some leg separation – toe full to double arabian, lunge forward. Nice. 14.100

Devillard’s rudi is a struggle, large lunge to the side and off the mats. She had crashed it in the final warmup.

Andrade – BB – switch mount, good – switch to switch 1/2 to split jump, comfortable – bhs loso, leg up check – another check on aerial – switch ring, maybe a bit low of position – side aerial and falls – double pike dismount, solid landing.

Brazil’s like – NEVER MIND NO THANKS

Wong – UB – stalder 1/2 to jaeger, good – toe full to bhardwaj, hit, a litle flopping – maloney to pak, solid – van leeuwen, catches – DLO deeeeep landing, lunge forward. The dismount will take away some serious tenths but nice on the bar.

Esposito – BB – bhs mount to bhs loso, hit – aerial to check – split jump to sissone, some foot position –

Fenton – UB – toe tkatchev piked 1/2 to yezhova, a bit crooked but hit – maloney to pak is clean – van leeuwen, solid – clear hip – giant full – FTDT, chest down, hop forward, fine.

Esposito is now officially the second Italian to hit a routine today, after Villa. 13.133

Jones – UB – stalder full to stalder shap to tkatchev, clean – toe full to stalder tkatchev piked to pak, small leg brek – van leeuwen, hit – toe 1/2 – doubel front, a little deep, step back, good hit. Just 14.333 though.

Meanwhile Pedro finishes beam with a solid double tuck, hop back. But it’s an 11.966.

Zhang finishes her floor with a deep double pike, hop forward. Long wait for her score.

12.866 for her.

Miyata – FX – DLO 1/1, hit, chest forward with a hop, some knees in the air – whip whip 3/1 is solid, small slide back, leg crossing – wolf double is around – back 1.5 to front full, secure landing, knees again – split leap full – double pike, solid.

Actually a big rotation for Italy in having just the one fall (LOL) and getting somewhat back on track. With everyone having such a disaster, their margin compared to qualification on bars and beam suddenly isn’t that bad. But Italy’s lead over Brazil is currently small, which benefits Brazil going to these last two events.Or would theoretically with Flavia. Now…who can say.

Rotation 3

Carey – BB – forward roll mount – full turn – bhs los loso, check  – side aerial, arm wave – straddle, pause – aerial, hit  swithc to switch 1/2 – switch side, little lean – split jump 1/2 from side, short of split – bhs bhs double pike, chest down, step back. 12.800

Soares stumble back on doubel arabian but keeps it to her feet – FTDT, a little short, hop – solid double pike landing – double pike, small slide. 12.833

Sakaguchi – VT – really good control on her DTY landing, just some leg crossing and not the most distance.

Maggio – FX – pulls around her wolf triple – DLO, small bounce, good – front loso to double pike, bounce – switch ring 1/2 – FTDT, chest just a bit forward – double tuck, small bounce. She’s back?

Achampong – BB – aerial to split to straddle is hit, some feet form – bhs loso loso, hit with small arm wave – side aerial, solid – y spin is hit – ring jump secure – bhs bsh 2.5, hop forward. Good start.

Miyata goes 14.400 for her DTY. Japan continues to stay in the hunt. Zhang hits her Tsuk 2/1, some legs, hop forward.

heduit is through bars with a hit.

Achampong goes 13.700 on beam which is quite something. Maggio 13.966

Adrade – FX – front full to FTDT, excellent – DLO 1/1, secure aldningswitch leap full, nice – double y a little short – DLO bounce back – doubel pike, bounce back

Chiles – BB – bhs bhs loso is clean – aerial to straddle to bhs, good – side somi with a lean – switdch to sissone , solid – side aerial, hit – switch side, tight but under control – double pike, bounce back. That was the one.

Just the full for Ou Yushan. Step forward.

Black – UB – maloney to hindorff, good – Black to yezhova, cleanly done – van leeuwen, solid – giant full – toe tuck 1/2, nearly stuck, little shuffle. Nice.

Chiles goes 13.333. Andrade goes 14.066.

Fenton – BB – loso mount, good – double turn, held well – side aerial to bhs, smooth – aerial, some knee into split jump, some back foot – y spin – wolf triple, just does pull it around – switch to split is hit – doubel tuck, pulls for dear life and hits it, hop forward.

D’Amato – FX – whip to 3/1, bounce back – doubel pike, deep, but bounce – doesn’t get her doubel wolf all the way around –

I didn’t see it but I heard it, an error for Melanie on bars. 13.066

13.333 for Fenton matches Chiles there.

Blakely – BB – shoulder roll mount – wolf triple, strong – back tuck full and falls – fhs front tuck, step forward – swtich to switch 1/2, a little tight but fine – aerial to split jump to wolf jump – side aerial, step back – double tuck, good stick (with a stagger).

Pedro finishes floor with a deep double pike and a lunge forward.

Turner 13.333 on bars to keep Canada in a good place with beam to come.

13.266 for Blakely, which is not what they wanted but the US buffer can afford.

Kinsella – BB – swithc mount, leg up check – aerial, small pause before good split jump – side aerial to loso to…back tuck off the beam – must have been off line from the start – wolf double, hit – switch to switch 1/2, no trouble – double pike, super deep, lunge back.

Pedro 12.466 on floor.

Esposito does a wonderful wolf roll on the third turn on her attempted wolf triple – 2.5 hop forward – split leap full, attempted 1.5 but not there – illusion – split leap to switch full – back 1.5 to front full, large bounce forward right into the corner, don’t think she went OOB – double tuck, well short, hands down. Drat it all.

This has been…not a great final and Japan is the only team I care about, please and thank you. Although Japan is going to bars now, which can be an adventure. But the lead is enough that Japan can legitimately do this. They’re currently in 3rd and going to give up a lottttt to Brazil and Italy on vault, but Brazil and Italy are so far back.

Rotation 4

Jen Gadirova – FX – DLO, high, bounce back – FTDT, bounce back, nice – switch ring – split full, good – switch 1/1 has some body position – front loso to double tuck, chest a bit down, hop forward. Good one.

Maggio step back on Y1.5. 13.866

Pedro shuffle back on Yfull, a couple steps. 

Wei – UB – inbar full to inbar shap to pak, clean – van leeuwen, good leg position =- inbar 1/2 – pirouettes to piked jaeger – DLO 1/1, step forward. Good.

D’Amato hits her DTY with a step.

13.433 for Gadirova

Jones – FX – wolf 2.25 about – double double tuck, small hop – split leap full, nice – DLO, solid control, small shuffle – front tuck through to double tuck, shuffle back – l hop full – Good routine.

Oliveira hits a Yfull with some pike and direction –

14.733 for Wei

Yamada – UB – maloeny to gienger, solid – blind to piked jaeger – pak, clean – van leeuwen – stalder to toe full, some back arch – FTDT, stuck. Nice.

Esposito 13.466 on vault for a Yfull. The lack of DTYs here for Italy and Brazil is really hurting them. Well, that and the crap-ton of falls.

Andrade does the most magnificent Cheng and goodbye.

13.733 for Jones on floor.

13.666 for Yamada. One down!

Kinsella – FX – very nice 3/1 in combination – 2.5 to front pike, hop forward – wolf double is not quite around – split leap full – switch full, pulls it around – doubel pike, bounce back –

15.166 for Andrade.

Sydney Turner hits beam. It was Carolann Heduit who fell earlier for France.

Luo Rui went 14.400 on bars.

With vault scores in, Brazil ended up 2 tenths ahead of Italy.

Wataneda – UB – stalder to stalder shap to pak – maloney to bail, some hip angle to toe shoot, hit – toe full – jaeger, just a bit close, hine – toe 1/2, short – DLO, step forward.

13.133 for Kinsella

Carey – FX – double double layout, small bounce – DLO 1/1, also well controlled – switch full – rfront through to double tuck, step back – FTDT, chest down, step back. Hit. 

Watanabe’s hit goes 12.766, which means they just need another stay-on in the final routine.

Tang – UB – maloney to pak, nice – van leeuwen, hit – bling to healy to ling to piked jaeger right on top of the bar, like she sat fully on the bar with her whole legs on the bar. Summarizes China’s performance.

Black – BB – switch to switch 1/2 to korbut, secure, short on switch 1/2 – double tuck to full turn, check – split to wolf is hit – front tuck, hop forward – bhs 2 foot layout, secure – side somi, holds with arm wave – 2.5 bounce forward. Good. What a meet for Canada. Amazing.

14.100 for Carey.

Jes Gadirova – FX – double double tuck, slide back – DLO, small hop – switch 1/2, good height, some feet – popa – front full to double tuck, stuck landing. Great.

12.833 for Tang to finish China’s day.

Fukasawa – UB – this is the one – tkatchev tkatchev pike, close but keeps going – pak, tucks it some but still keeps going – maloney to bhardwaj is nice – short cast hs – van leeuwen – short hs – stalder 1/2, GOES OVER THE WRONG WAY – stalder 1/2, another early to piked jaeger, close, can’t catch and NOW SHE HOPS OFF.

13.833 for BLACK! IT’S CANADA TIME!

Fukasawa tries to finish and can’t get over on another handstands, this poor fawn. They were so close.

Gadirova gets 14.266.

Melanie with two large breaks on beam. And now hands down on dismount –

Chiles – FX – 1.5 through to FTDT, bounce back – DLO 1/1, lovely, small slide back – wolf double almost wolfkinos it – L hop full to split leap full, solid – switch side 1/2 – front loso to double tuck, bounce back OOB.

That will seal the gold for the US, the silver for Great Britain, and the bronze for CANADAAAAAAA.

We’re just waiting on the scores from the final routines now.

9.400 for Fukasawa. The sadness.

14.000 for Chiles.

Ellie Black is having her Arthur Nory at the Olympics moment.

What a delightful splatfest.