No start list drama to begin the action today (yet). The only changes concern Jessica Gadirova, who pulled out of the beam and floor finals allowing Sanne Wevers into the beam final and Alice Kinsella into the floor final.
We’ll begin with the adventure that is the men’s vault final.
MEN’S VAULT
Young – VT 1 – handspring randi with a stick. Excellent. Tim is getting hot flashes. 15.033
Young – VT 2 – round off 1/2 on, layout 2/1, holds onto the stick on that one too, just a little short but does well to keep the stick with an arm wave. 14.666, average of 14.849. That would have placed 2nd in qualification.
Juda – VT 1 – yurchenko double pike, hits it, lands short with chest forward, lunge out of the area. 14.600
Juda – VT 2 – Kas 1.5 is clean, nice twisting form and direction, bound forward. 14.500, average of 14.550.
Penev – VT 1 – Kas 1.5, nice distance, some knees at the end, little hop forward, 14,166
Penev – VT 2 – Yurchenko 2.5, similar landing to the first with a hop forward, good layout position, a bit of direction. 14.200, average of 14.183.
Jarman – VT 1 – Kas 2.5 is excellent, small hop forward. 15.400
Jarman – VT 2 – Dragulescu is also quite strong, easily completed, lunge back should be into first. 14.700 for that, average of 15.050.
“Do a vault you’re confident you won’t die on.” – Tim, accurately summarizing men’s vault strategy.
Hepworth – VT 1 – fantastic Dragulescu, little hop to the side – only medium cowboy – 14.533
Hepworth – VT 2 – handspring randi landing is more of a struggle, landed stiff with a large lunge forward 14.333, 14.433 average. How on earth that vault had the same E score as his first…….
Davtyan – VT 1 – willllldddd miss from him, very surprising – Draglescu is way way short, has to lunge forward and duck under the table as he was lunging. 13.966
Davtyan – VT 2 – handspring randi is gorgeous and stuck, which makes the first vault more tragic. 15.133, average of 14.549 and still almost went ahead of Juda, but he’s into 4th.
Radivilov – VT 1 – very good Dragulescu, small hop back, some feet and cowboy. 14.900
Radivilov – VT 2 – Tsuk double pike, overdoes that one a little, larger lunge back. 14.600, average 14.750 puts him into 3rd with one to go.
Chepurnyi – VT 1 – nice stick on his Dragulescu, comes in a little deeper than some of the other drags but holds onto the landing. 14.833
Chepurnyi – VT 2 – Kas 2/1 is similar, just a little shy on landing, lunge to the side and out of the area. 14.700, average is 14.766 to he goes ahead of Radivilov for bronze. Hmmmm, I would have had Radivilov higher. Not enough deduction for Chepurnyi’s short landings.
GOLD – Jade Jarman
SILVER – Khoi Young
BRONZE – Nazar Chepurnyi
BEAM
It’s happeningggggg.
Ashikawa – BB – JPN – bhs mount, hit – side aerial to loso, smooth and clean – switch to split ring jump, secure – switch ring, solid position – side somi, clean – double turn, check – 3/1, dismount, little step to the side. Excellent. 5.9/14.066, a little up on qualification for her.
Schaefer – BB – GER – switch mount, little hesitation – split leap, nice – bhs loso, solid – switch ring and her foot slips, nearly splits the beam, knee and hand down onto the beam – double turn to full turn, hit – Schaefer is hit, small check – aerial to split to stag ring, hit – side aerial – gainer layout, stuck. 5.4/12.800.
Zhang – BB – CHN – switch mount to switch 1/2 to korbut, excellent – 2 foot layout, also right on – switch ring gets her as well – foot slips, sits on the beam with hand down – switch side to split jump to back dive from side, has the same problem with that as team final, actually more extreme this time, clearly has to grab the beam to pull herself back up – switch to split jump 1/2 to straddle 3/4 is an actual dream – double pike, step back. Alas.
Long wait on this score. 13.100 in the end, which is kind of insane if her TF score without the switch ring fall was 13.266.
Biles – BB – USA – switch mount to switch 1/2 to back pike, good combination today – wolf triple, nice – aerial to split jump to straddle, very small adjustment on landing – bhs loso loso, on – side aerial, hit – bhs bhs FTDT, very small hop. Excellent. 14.800 and into first.
Zhou – BB – CHN – candle mount, a little over handstand – fhs to front tuck to split to wolf, gorgeousness – full turn, good – switch ring, secure, back foot a little low from this angle but great on replay so that was just the angle and the lights – side somi, smooth – breaks connection into tuck jump and straight jump full, hit, straight jump a little low – aerial to split ring jump to korbut, excellent – 3/1, step back. Really nice. 14.700, only 1 tenth behind Simone, so that could have gotten interesting.
Wevers – BB – NED – bhs mount, pretty quick into wolf jump full, little hesitation before one-arm bhs – double L, gets it today – side aerial to bhs, nice – aerial to split jump to bhs 1/1, good – L turn to full to double turn, little check, breaks into split leap combination, but does split leap into straight jump full – gainer pike full, little step. Another great one.
Zhou inquires on beam….Sanne is doing her D score. Obviously has it before the judges. 5.9/14.100 for Sanne and into 3rd place, just ahead of Ashikawa.
Jones – BB – USA – switch mount to switch 1/2, arm wave – arabian, solid – split jump to straddle jump – bhs bhs layout 2 feet, leg up wobble, almost fully had it – side aerial, hit – full turn – bhs bhs double pike is wayyyy short and falls. 5.6/12.933
Andrade – BB – BRA – switch mount – switch to switch 1/2, wobble and step back – bhs loso, solid – aerial to split ring jump to bhs, great height on split ring jump – switch ring, solid – side aerial, also strong – full turn, hit – wolf and sissone, good – double pike, great height, chest up, very small step. Great. 14.300 moves her into the bronze position, knocking out Wevers.
GOLD – Simone Biles
SILVER – Zhou Yaqin
BRONZE – Rebeca Andrade
Sam is hell bent on convincing you that actually beam is very easy.
PARALLEL BARS
We’re discussing how Shi Cong is able to compete here even though he was withdrawn from the team before team final. Basically, if you’re withdrawn before the competition, you can’t come back, but if the alternate replaces you mid-competition, you’re allowed to come back in.
Kaya – PB – JPN – makuts is solid – healy, nice – peach 1/2 and peach are hit – front straddle, hit – bhavsar, smooth – tippelt, clean – double front 1/2 out, stuck. Excellent. 6.3/14.733
Kovtun – PB – UKR – lots of arm movements on diam to start – also doesn’t stay on his peach to one, grabs the other rail – great dismount, stuck double front, but several major breaks there. 6.4/14.633 goes in behind Kaya.
Shi – PB – CHN – diam, good – makuts, hit – peach 1/2, solid – peach – front straddle – bhavsar, good swing – tippelt, nice height – healy down – double pike, stuck. Wonderful. 15.066 and into first.
Moldauer – PB – USA – peach – peach 1/2 great – diam work and makuts is nice but loses it right after that on his next makuts, basically forward rolls onto the bars – double front 1/2 out, step back. 13.133
Hong – PB – USA – peach – bhavsar, clean – tippelt, solid – makuts is good – diam, right to vertical – stutz, a little angle – double front 1/2, lands in full ball shape but holds the stick. 6.0/14.466. Good E score, didn’t have the D.
Levantesi has a big walk in handstand with a lot of hand placements like Kovtun. Double pike dismount very short, large lunge forward. 13.866
Dauser goes through exceptionally cleanly, much more height and extension than everyone else – stuck double front 1/2. 15.400
Sugimoto finishes the final, very clean, good amplitude, a few more hand placements, longest handstand pause in the world before double front 1/2, stuck. That should medal though.
15.000 for Sugimoto puts him just behind Shi and into third.
GOLD – Lukas Dauser
SILVER – Shi Cong
BRONZE – Sugimoto Kaito
WOMEN’S FLOOR
Jones – FX – USA – wolf 3.25, definite triple – double double tuck, good, small hop back – double L, does not try the triple today – front full to double tuck, little hop back – FTDT, another small shuffle – leg up full to switch 1/2. Great. Only got a 5.5 D though for a 13.666 total. Inquiry rejected.
Saraiva – FX – BRA – whip to FTDT, good – switch full, excellent – DLO, also right on – split leap – split leap 1.5, possibly under rotated – switch ring 1/2 – back 1.5 to front full, shorter with a step back – double pike, pulls it out, chest forward, covers with a little hop to the side. Nice comeback hit. 13.866 and in ahead of Jones.
Visser – FX – NED – whip to 3/1, lands OOB with both feet, front tucks herself back in bounds, but no DV for skills that start OOB – double L to double turn – drops early on her doubel y, no connection to illusion – switch 1/2 – back 2.5 to layout, low layout, somehow gets a stick – switch ring – split leap full – double tuck, chest down, hop forward. 13.300
Flavia gets the miracle of the final, an accepted inquiry for 13.966 now.
Biles – FX – USA – DLO 1/1, good, hop back – front full to double double, small slide back – wolf double, hit – switch to split leap 1.5 – Biles, ejects herself forward OOB – switch leap full – DLO, slide back into the corner. Solid except for the OOB. 14.633
Kinsella – FX – GBR – back 1.5 to 3/1, lands hunched over, small movement – back 1.5 to front full is very low, pulls it around but a large lunge to the side – double wolf – split leap full to switch leap full – doubel pike, hit, hop back – 12.666
Andrade – FX – BRA – front full to FTDT, chest a little forward, hop – DLO 1/1 is excellent, stuck – switch full, little hop on landing – Y2.5ish, not the triple around this time – DLO, little rebound forward – switch to split leap full, nice height – double pike, bounce back. 14.500, not too far behind Simone.
Zhou – FX – CHN – triple turn, doesn’t get four around this time – double tuck, perfection – falls out of double y turn as well – 3/1 to front tuck, low, works it out – split jump full, great – switch ring, wonderful, to split ring, hit – 2.5 to front pike, great landing. Nice, didn’t have the dance D today. 13.3 with a 5.4 D versus her usual 5.6
Voinea – FX – ROU – popa, good height – DLO 1/1, shuffle to the side – double double tuck, strong landing – triple turn – switch to switch 1/1, hit – FTDT, also secure on landing, small movement – split leap full – front tuck through to double tuck, just keeps that in, forward on landing with a hop. 13.766 puts her in 4th.
GOLD – Simone Biles
SILVER – Rebeca Andrade
BRONZE – Flavia Saraiva
Six medals for the Brazilian women here. Before 2021, they only had four total ever.
HIGH BAR
Nory – HB – BRA – tak 1/2 to liukin, good – tak 1/1 – full twisting jaeger – yam, good – layout tkatchev and falls. Resumes and repeats it into piked tkatchev – DLO 1/1, little hop. 13.533
Karimi – HB – KAZ – catches cassina, some form – kovacs and kolman are hit in combination – tak 1/2, nice finish – tkatchev to piked tkatchev, hit – DLO 2/1, stuck. Yes. 14.433
Srbic – HB – CRO – tak 1/2 to layout tkatchev – tkatchev to layout tkatchev – kolman, hit – tak 1/1, great finish – stalder – DLO 1/1, stuck, some pike. So he’ll have the Olympic spot. 14.500 into 1st.
Juda – HB – USA – yam, good – kovacs, hit – layout tkatchev – tkatchev to piked tkatchev, hit – tak – tak 1/2, nice finish – DLO 1/1, stuck. Should get a huge E score but won’t have the D. 14.100 with an 8.7 E.
Hashimoto – HB – JPN – tak 1/2 – liukin, hit – Cassina, good – kolman, yes – layout tkatchev to tkatchev, clean – tak 1/1, a little late – stalder – DLO 2/1, stuck landing with a little lean. Great. 15.233
Ahead of Srbic, who is up to 14.700 on inquiry,
Dolci – HB – CAN – tak 1/1, late – tak 1/2, solid – Cassina and peels off – resumes with kovacs, hit – layout tkatchev – tkatchev, and now a second fall – DLO 2/1, hop back. 11.100
Chiba – HB – JPN – kolman is crazy close – muscles up out of it, keeps going but major deductions – tak 1/1 – yam – tak 1/2 – DLO 2/1, small hop back. 12.700
Su – HB – CHN – tak 1/1, great finish position – tak 1/2 – liukin, hit – layout tkatchev – kolman, hit – DLO 2/1, a little forward, hop. 14.500 goes ahead of Karimi and into bronze.
GOLD – Hashimoto Daiki
SILVER – Tin Srbic
BRONZE – Su Weide