She’s back! And different from before!

The mixed team American Cup is here, and I’m very interested to see how this goes. We have 8 teams in round 1, and everyone will do 2 MAG and 2 WAG routines, with the top 6 teams advancing to round 2.

The MAG events are floor, PBars, and high bar, and the WAG events are bars, beam, and floor. Individual athletes cannot repeat events in subsequent rounds, and if you advance through all three rounds, you have to cover all the events twice.

But other than that, super straightforward.

John, Sam, and Tim welcome us to Almost Vegas. I didn’t have Tim in the pool for Most Surprising Style Reveal.

So, we’re not even having the broadcasters describe the format? So…why are three of you here?

Tim says “we’ll definitely see Simone Biles” coming back to elite and that Suni is coming back too. Did you tell Suni that?

Alright so….let’s move it along.

Round 1

Petisco – BB – Spain – large wobble on loso mount, keeps it on – switch to switch 1/2, nice 180 positions – wolf double goes a little crazy, teeters around – bhs bhs loso, short and falls. She was off from the start. Side aerial, lean – split jump 1/2 from side is excellent. double pike, chest down, step. Rough opener. Just like the white wing dove.

Nuñez – PB – Mexico – peach – peach 1/2 – diam to front straddle, little hesitation up to handstand – tippelt, clean, waver up to handstand – double pike, hop. Hit.

Two routines, no scores, and a commercial. Yayyyyyyy.

Mostowfi opened floor for GB with 12.450. Petisco went 11.650 on beam. 13.350 PBars for Nunez.

We didn’t see Ke Qinqin on floor (thanks) but 12.950 for her.

Pease – FX – USA – double double tucked, bounce back OOB – double pike, stumble back, a couple steps – switch ring to switch 1/2, good positions in split – back 1.5 to rudi, bounce back – wolf double, over two turns, leans out of it somewhat – 2.5, step forward, legs crossed. 13.000. 5.5/7.6

11.000 BB for Boucas. Hashimoto 14.200 PB.

Moldauer – FX – USA – front full to double front, hop back – DLO, pikes down to land, bounce back – punch randi, chest down, hop – 2.5 to layout, little movement adjustment – huge struggle on double arabian 1/2 out, barely got it around and then bounce back hands down. 12.450

Looking back at Hashimoto’s PB now – peach 1/2 with a lean and hand placement – peach – nice makuts – front straddle and clean handstand – bhavsar, solid, up to handstand – tippelt, good handstand – double front 1/2 out, chest down hop back

Li – FX – China – front full to double front pike, step forward OOB – double double tuck, comfortable, small bounce back – punch randi, tries to hold stick so hard he leans forward past horizontal like an NCAA WAG freshman – 2.5 to 1/2, comfortable landing – double pike, love it, good landing

Roper – FX – GB – wolf 2.25 – double pike, little hop back, some chest position – front loso throiugh to double tuck, pulls it around, a little sluggish but gets it around – tour jete 1/2 to switch 1/2 to popa – switch 1/1, slightly under, hops around – 2.5 is a problem, under rotated and sits it down

Rotation 1 says, American Cup gonna American Cup. You can take a break for 6 years, but it’s still the beginning of March and everyone’s going to fall.

After 2 routines each
Japan – 27.500
China – 26.650
Mexico – 25.550
Spain – 25.450
USA – 25.450
Brazil – 24.000
Great Britain – 23.800
Philippines – 21.000

Six teams go through to the next round. Philippines probably going to be eliminated, as expected, but really not clear yet who is going to join them in the sadness corner. You guys, what if the US got eliminated in the first round.

Round 1, Rotation 2

Scott hits a PB to open for GB, hop back on double pike dismount. 13.050. Escudero got 13.000 on floor.

Zhang – UB – China – weiler to weiler 1/2 to pak, solid – maloney to tkatchev, close but hit – cast 1/2 with some body position – toe full is verrrrrry late, but gets it into FTDT, stuck. 13.850.

Bullock – BB – USA – full turn – bhs loso, little squeeze adjustment, hit – switch to split jump 1/2 to bhs, connected comfortably – switch 1/2, under split but secure – side aerial, comfortable – aerial, knee, leg up wobble – breaks connection into split jump, check – side somi and falls, second fall of the rotation for the US – 2.5 dismount, step to the side.

Leykin saved the competition for the US with a hit on PB, hop 1/2 on one hand – diam with tucking – stutz into stuck double front 1/2 dismount with some crazy legs and chest down. 14.000

Sam: “What grade is he in???”

Feel like he didn’t understand that the US team had the opportunity to do the funniest thing, and he kind of ruined it by hitting.

Nakamura – FX – wolf triple is around, balance check just standing there – back full and totally Grishinas, no element out of it – whip to double tuck, bounce up in place – switch – tour jete 1/2, hop – back 1.5 to front full, good one, just a small hop, bit of knees – drops out of Memmel after about a single turn – 2/1, leg separation, big bounce back. Someone had a case of the Americas. 11.600

Zhang – PB – China – makuts, solid – peach 1/2 and peach go crazy in form – double back to arms is good – healy, solid – double pike, bounce back. 14.000

Escalera gets 12.700 on floor, they’ll advance.

Plata – HB – Spain – tak 1/1, late – tak 1/2 is insane, late and legs and everything – cassina is very low, no chance to catch and falls – resumes with layout tkatchev, hit – hop full to DLO 1/1, good stick to finish.

Ruby Stacey saved GB with 13.200 on bars. They’ll advance.

Plata gets 11.700 and that’s enough.

Now we’ll see Stacey on bars – toe tkatchev 1/2 to yezhova, hit, leg separation – toe full, leg break to Chow to pak, hit – short hs on low – van leeuwen with leg break – blind to double front, cowboy, hop back. Nice.

Round 1
China – 54.500
Japan – 52.050
USA – 51.200
Spain – 50.150
Mexico – 50.150
Great Britain – 50.050
Brazil – 49.750
Philippines – 45.250

Brazil and Philippines eliminated. We saw zero of either of there routines, so….OK?

This is fun to follow along on the scores, eliminating people is always excellent, but if we didn’t see any of the routines of the people who were eliminated, it’s just kind of like…shrug OK.

Scores wiped clean after the first round.

So, thanks for making the trip Sophia Weisberg, but you get to do zero routines.

Round 2

Ke – BB – China – switch mount, good – fhs to front tuck and she falls. It’s ruined. aerial, good hrigh into a huge split ring jump to korbut, awesome – excellent switch ring, no connection to bhs – side aerial, to straddle, another, odd dog-about-to-pee hesitation check – switch to split, perfect position – full turn – double tuck, hop back. She fell and broke every connection and should still beat everyone else. 13.100

One routine and then commerciallllll.

GB opens with a 13.450 high bar from Scott. Nuñez 13.050 floor for Mexico.

Rivera – BB – USA – wolf double, solid – side aerial, slow into split and straddle but solid elements – bhs layout 2 feet, pikes down somewhat, check – aerial to split ring jump, step wobble before korbut – switch ring, wobble, lean to the side – switch – bhs bhs double pike, chest down, step back. Normally you’d be like, ohhh she struggled through that one, but today that counts as perfect queen of all time. 13.400

These boys trying to high five the WOGA gymnasts. They’re like, “What is…friend…??”

Hong – HB – USA – cassina fall, close and nearly face-planted the bar – resumes and tries the cassina again and falls again. Piked kovacs is hit – tak 1/1, past – tak 1/2, a little shy – DLO 2/1, hop forward. I would be pissed if I were his teammate and he tried that Cassina again. 10.950.

Hashimoto – FX – Japan – front full to double front pike, hop back – DLO 1/1, shorter, chest down, hop forward – back 2.5 to front lay, lovely – double double tuck, stuck – double pike, good open out of it, little movement. 13.950

Xie – HB – China – tak 1/2, good – kolman, hit – liukin, very strong – layout tkatchev – DLO 2/1, overcooks it and sits it down. 13.350

Congratulations everyone (genuine) because this competition is a total mess and I’m having a great time.

Roper – UB – GB – shirt hs – toe tkatchev 1/2 to yezhova, around the side buyt hit – chow to pak, hit – toe full, leg sep – van leeuwen, nicely done – arch in hs but pulls it back – jaeger, solid -leg sep in 1/2 turn – FTDT, low but hit it, hop forward. 12.600

China fell on both of their first two routines and are winning. No notes. Absolutely ideal.

After Round 2, Rotation 1
China – 26.450
Japan – 26.100
GB – 26.050
Mexico – 25.250
USA – 24.350
Spain – 24.100

United States in the drop zone by .900 for now.

Round 2, Rotation 2

It feels like the whole competition has been PBars.

Banks – PB – GB – nice first handstand toe point – diam, to vertical – peach – long swing diam, hand adjustm,ent, diam 1/2 and peach 1/2, a little past – double front 1/2 out with hop. Raggedy but hit. 13.400

We didn’t see Zhang on FX but she goes 12.700. Rojas 11.650 high bar.

Bullock – UB – USA – front stalder 1/2 to inbar shap, leg sep, into pak, solid – inbar full to van leeuwen, good – inbar 1/2 to jaeger, well done – FTDT, step back. She should just yell you’re welcome. 14.100

Kishi goes 13.100 on beam.

Moldauer – PB – USA – peach to peach 1/2 – diam – giant diam with hand walk – goes over the wrong way on one rail, has to muscle up a straddle, doesn’t come off – double front 1/2 out, holds a stick

Escalera – UB – Mexico – short first hs – blind to jaeger, close catch – tkatchev to pak, hit with a straddle in pak – maloney to gienger and falls. 11.000

Tim says he doesn’t know if he’s been to a major international event where there are so many falls. Tim, I know you’ve been to American Cup before.

Martin – BB – GB – bhs mount and immediately falls – bhs loso loso and she falls again – wolf triple is hit – switch, tight with a wobble into straddle jump, another pretty large break – aerial, hit – switch 1/2, wobble before back tuck – double pike, step back. Oof.

Just 10.300 for Martin, which will eliminate GB.

Round 2
Japan – 54.100
China – 52.650
USA – 51.500
Spain – 50.650
GB – 49.750
Mexico – 47.900

Mexico and Great Britain out after the second round, Spain sneaks through to the final.

Did we just see Jordan Chiles on the floor? Girl you just had a meet at Stanford. I know it, I watched.

Final Round
We go one at a time now. The US going with Rivera on floor and Pease on bars, Hong on floor and Leykin on high bar.

Mir – HB – Spain – tak 1/1 very late – tak 1/2 is strong – tkatchev – giant 1.5, past – giant full, also late – DLO 2/1, very deep landing with some lunges forward. 12.250

Rivera – FX – USA – DLO 1/1, hit, hop forward, some pike throughout – DLO, is solid, small slide back – switch full to knee – wolf double, around – front tuck through to double tuck, chest forward, little slide forward – split ring leap to switch ring – 2.5, step forward. Solid hit. I don’t understand this narrative that this routine is suddenly artistry now, though. 13.600. 5.7/7.9

Hong – FX – USA – front 2/1 to double front, hit, little hop – front full to double front pike, very strong stick – 2/1, hop to the side – holds scale for 19 months – double double tuck, perfect stuck landing entirely OOB. 14.000

Escudero 12.250 on bars.

Xie – PB – China – good toe point – makuts, hits leg on swing down – peach 1/2 – diam with some leg form – straddle front, good – bhavsar, very nice – tippelt, nice – double front, hop back. Tim letting us know he knows what youtube is. 14.450.

Nakamura – BB – Japan – bhs loso bhs mount combination, hit – wolf triple, fastest twisting in the west – side aerial to split straddle, leans through it – bhs loso loso, off line, big leg up wobble, brings it back – aerial to split ring, another pretty large wobble – side somi, lean forward – switch, another large break, huge lean forward – double pike, hop back. Eeeeesh. 12.700 is quite high but she has a 6.4 D. 6.4/6.4

Hong score up to 14.100 on floor.

Hashimoto – HB – Japan – tak full – tak 1/2, very good, into kolman, hit – cassina, solid – kiukin, hit – layout tkatchev – giant full – DLO 2/1, hop back. Very good. 14.950

Tian – UB – China – Healy and Ling to layout jaeger, solid, small leg separation – pak – toe on to maloney to gienger, very close catch but works through it, short handstand – FTDT, good toe point, hop back. 14.450

After Final Part 1
China – 28.900
USA – 27.700
Japan – 27.650
Spain – 24.500

Japan with work to do now. China running away with it.

Final, Part 2

Leykin – HB – USA – tak 1/1, pretty late – Pegan, hit – Cassina, peels off and falls, rough fall – kolman is hit – tak 1/2 – giant full – DLO 2/1, stuck. 13.150

Petisco – FX – Spain – FTDT, awkward rebound and puts her hands down – double arabian, hit with a little hop – wolf triple, around and a little more – tour jete 1/2 is solid – double tuck, chest up, step back – switch 1/2 – double pike, deep, pulls it out with a bounce back. 12.050

Plata – FX – Spain – double front pike, deeper landing, step OOB – double double tuck, hop back – 2.5 connected to a seat drop fall – front 2/1 to 1/2, chest down, step – FTDT, low, hop forward. 11.350

Pease – UB – USA – front stalder 1/2 to inbar full, a little loose back but hit – inbar shap to tkatchev, hit – pak, good height, legs together – stalder shap 1/2 – toe 1/2 to double front 1/2, cannonballs and under rotated by about an 1/8, hops it around. A hit. 13.850.

Tsunogai – PB – Japan – makuts, smooth – pach 1/2, very nice finish position – diam to strong straddle, excellent amplitude – pause and lowers in elbows in handstand – bhavsar, good – tippelt, nice lift – double front 1/2, chest well down, hop forward. 14.400

Zhang – BB – China – switch mount to switch 1/2 to korbut, hit,- layout 2 feet right to the end of the beam and falls – switch ring to bhs to split just, smooth – switch side, little pause before straddle jump, little pause before back dive – switch to split jump 1/2, excellent – full turn – double pike, step back. 13.550

Li – HB – China – tak 1/1, good – tak 1/2 to kolman, caught – Cassina, comfortable – DLO 2/1, stuck. Excellent. 14.800

That will clinch the win for China.

Kishi – FX – Japan – double tuck, very large bounce back OOB – front lay to rudi, another big struggle, bounce back OOB – memmel is very nice – wolf triple, pulls it around – 2.5 is very good – switch ring – split ring 1/2 attempt, really rushes it, doesn’t show ring – double pike, deep landing, lunge forward. 12.050

Surprisingly rough final round from the Japanese women will give the US silver behind China.

FINAL
1. China – 57.250
2. USA – 54.700
3. Japan – 54.100
Spain – 47.900

China didn’t smush quite as many routines as the other teams overall, and even the ones they did were still well executed enough to outscore other hits. Japan’s men’s routines were the strongest of the final round, but the women’s routines were well behind China and the US.

The Chinese women are like, “A meet with no vault. Yes. Yesssssssss.”

Still weird to me that this is going to be an Olympic event instead of…a random March showcase in Las Vegas.