Whooooooo’s ready to complain about how few routines we’ll see on Peacock?
I know I am. Also, Jade being the header photo for their team final stream is deeply funny.

It’s Women’s Team Final day at worlds, and the submitted start lists have already provided some fodder. The US women have gone with Caylor on floor. She didn’t compete FX in qualification to give Pease, Blakely, and Bullock all a chance at the all-around, but she does have the D-score edge on Bullock and Blakely, who were both stuck in the 12s on the first day.

Speaking of people who didn’t go in qualification, Japan. Japan is putting up Nakamura on both bars and beam, where she has big scoring potential but didn’t compete in qualification. She’s in on bars instead of Kishi and beam instead of Sugihara, which feels theoretically wild. Okamura is also in on floor instead of Nishiyama or Nakamura, both of whom went in qualification but for 12s.

China is also going with Zhang Qingying on bars over Ke Qinqin, even though Ke has the higher D and the higher qualification score. Maybe a play for a steadying hit? They did the same at Asian Games.

In rotation 1, China and the US will vault. China was just a tenth behind the US on vault in qualification, so the US would need to establish an actual margin today on an event that should be an edge for the Americans. Both Russia and Italy are starting on their best event, bars, and will hope to be leading after the first.

Peacock has started. “Remember Simonnnneeeee?” is the theme.

Intros are underway. Athlete spacing and mark hitting has not been a strength so far. Oh look, the French are doing the cancan. Is that supposed to tell us that you’re French?

John is in the role of “reading the serious thing” about WG2 Russia.
Uh oh, Charleigh almost forgot to high-five the mascot. Could have been devastating. Big save.

Special report that this is the closest group of sisters.

Rotation 1

Nishiyama – BB – Japan – bhs mount to loso loso, secure, some knee position – leans through a wolf triple, but hits it – aerial, check, to split to straddle – side somi, hit – switch, wobble – side aerial, another little check – 2.5 dmt, solid, hop forward. Useful. 13.233

And China has swapped in Zhang Qingying’s tsuk full on vault. I would assume Zhang YH wasn’t hitting that Tsuk double in the touch.

Just 12.4 for G Black on floor.

Roshchina – UB – WG2Russia – inbar shap and immediately falls, very much not what they needed – the rest looks solid, good height on piked jaeger – finishes toe full to FTDT, step back. 12.933. She was 14.266 in Q.

Zhang – VT – China – Tsuk full, very solid landing, small step, lots of pike throughout. Or “gorgeous lines in the air.”

13.233 vault for Zhang, good score for her but down on potential and qualification scores.

Big 14.200 beam to start France for Colas. Bullock 14.133 DTY for the US. Italy on to start with a 14.400 bars for Perotti.

13.633 vault score for Ke Qinqin is also way down on qualification. Rough start for China.

Peacock has decided to come back. Bullocks’ DTY, good position but very large lunge back

Nakamura comes through on beam with 14.133.

Colas – BB – switch mount to split to straddle, good combination – side aerial to loso, good – wolf double, hit – switch 1/2, secure, back leg lower – aerial to split to bhs, another good series bonus – double pike, deeper, little hop. Good one.

Ke QQ – VT – China – DTY is very short, chest well down with a lunge forward for that 13.633.

Pease did the Cheng and went 14.200, so a useful score, better than either vault from Q.

Prat – BB – France – nice loso series – bhs loso loso, solid landing, some knees – switch to switch 1/2 to bhs, great amplitude and gets the connection – side aerial, little adjustment – wolf double, solid – side somi, smooth – double tuck, deep, chest well down with a step. 13.900

14.433 for Kaiumova on bars is good for them.

14.100 DTY for Du Siyu gets China back on track.

Looking back at the Pease Cheng, pretty solid, chest down, hop back, knees and some direction, but better than Q.

Tonelli – UB – Italy – toe full, little arch but fine – stalder shap to tkatchev, nice – pak, good – van leeuwen, small leg break – toe 1/2 to front giant to double front, deep landing with a big shuffle back. 13.466.

14.300 for Blakely’s DTY.

Okamura – BB – Japan – loso mount, good – goes for tour jete 1/2, well under step and a step to control – wolf triple is good – side aerial to loso, strong – aerial to split, wobble, leg up – wolf to straddle dance combo requirement – switch ring, check – split ring jump, another small hesitation on landing – 2.5 dismount, step forward. OK but checky. 13.700.

Glotova – UB – WG2 Russia – inbar 1/2 to piked jaeger, good – toe full to stalder tkatchev piked, very close but keeps it going – pak, hit – maloney to gienger, hit, leg separation – FTDT, step back. OK. 13.966

Looking back at Du’s vault – hit DTY, good amplitude but too many little steps back and some direction – nice power, justifying her selection because where would this lineup have been today without her.

Saraiva – FX – Brazil – DLO, a little low, step forward – switch ring 1/2, solid amplitude to make it worthwhile – double tuck, bounce back, keeps it in bounds – split leap – switch ring 1/2 is bouncy on landing – back 1.5 to front full, step – switch ring, wonderful – double pike oof, stumble back with a couple steps OOB

US will be ahead of China by almost 1.7 after vault, compared to .1 in qualification, which would be the gain the US needs if China hits better today.

Iorio – UB – stalder tkatchev pike dot pak to maloney to stalder 1/2 to quzhova to stalder shap 1/2, just a couple leg seps but great – front giant full to double front, near stick, just a little rebound. Great. 14.300

We’re seeing Blakely’s vault, much better control – DTY with good height, little hop back

After 1:
1. US – 42.633
2. Italy – 42.166
3. France – 41.366
4. WG2Russia – 41.332
5. Japan – 41.066
6. China – 40.966
7. Canada – 39.066
8. Brazil – 38.633

USA and Japan the only teams that improved on their event scores from qualification. But a useful score for Italy and France as well, meeting the level they needed.

Rotation 2

Colas – FX – France – whip full through to double tuck, a bit deep, hop back – back 2/1 is lovely but just a back 2/1 – switch ring, tour jete 1/2, great positions, little hop – front tuck through to double pike, chest down, little hop – switch 1/2, not her splittiest – wolf triple, around well for credit. Good. 13.100

Just 12.066 for Tonelli on beam. My joy is stolen.

Bullock – UB – USA – front stalder 12 to inbar full to inbar shap to pak, good – van eeeuwen, solid – short hs on high – inbar 1/2 to jaeger, fingertips it but gets it – well past on cast 1/2 – FTDT, great landing. Better elements than Q, a couple short verticals. 14.000 is an improvement.

Roshchina – BB – WG2 Russia – front tuck, step, holds it – switch ring, little pause before bhs – split ring jump – side aerial, hit – fhs front tuck, holds it – wolf jump, wobble before sissone, breaks her dance combo requirement – aerial, pause before split jump, low with a wobble, breaks combo to korbut – wolf double – double tuck step back. Stayed on but so many broken combos. 12.766

Zhang – UB – China – weiler to weilfer 1/2 to pak, clean – maloney to tkatchev, low but fine – solid 1/2 turn on high – toe to toe full to FTDT, stuck. Great one. 13.933.

A look at Weisberg’s vault, much better DTY than qualification in that she hit it, large bounce back but landed.

Esposito – BB – Italy – bhs mount to loso bhs is great – switch to split jump 1/2, wonderful back leg on switch – aerial to split, hit well – side aerial – wolf triple, nice – noooooo, double pike dmt, pulls, sits it down, another miss for Italy. 13.100

Kishi – FX – Japan – FTDT, step back, chest position is solid – front lay to front 2/1, lovely twist, just a little under with a small hop – double L – wolf triple, good – double tuck, a ltitle deep, hop – switch ring to split ring leap 1/2 – double pike, deep, lunge forward. Started wonderful, a couple landings at the end, but still useful. 13.233

Commercials for us rotten Americans, but Claire Pease went 14.366 on bars, which is 3 tenths higher than her qualification. Qiu with a hit for 14.233, which picks up 9 tenths on her qualification score.

Just 12.166 for Glotova. Beam destroying lives for Italy and WG2.

Japan making big improvements over qualification again in the second rotation.

A look back on Andrade’s vault, comfortable DTY, a little steppy. Very small. 14.400

Blakely – UB – USA – stalder full to toe tkatchev piked – to stalder tkatchev piked to pak, good – toe full to van leeuwen, nice – shorter hs on high – toe higgins a little past into doubel front 1/2, little hop. 14.400.

Huge floor score for France. 40.099. They’re nailing it so far.
12.566 beam for Perotti. Sigh.

Du – UB – China – good hs – stalder shap to tkatchev to pak, nice – shrot hs on low – maloney to gienger, good leg position – little leg break on piro, some late finish – DLO 1/1, pikes down, hop. Solid. China fixes bars, will be way up on their qualification result. 14.300

Us – BB – WG2 Russia – loso mount, good – side aerial to loso, high, little check – switch to sissone, good – wolf double, hit – aerial to split, good – double tuck, hop back. A solid one. Russia’s best gymnast, Elizaveta Us.

Sugihara went 13.900 on floor. Where was that in qualification. Japan is owning the competition so far. 40.433 floor.

A look back at Fontaine’s vault – great height on DTY, large bounce back.

After 2
1. USA – 85.399
2. China – 83.432
3. Japan – 81.499
4. France – 81.465
5. Canada – 80.631
6. Brazil – 80.066
7. Italy – 79.898
8. WG2 Russia – 79.830

Sugihara’s floor, double L, good – DLO, little hop to the side – back 1.5 through to double tuck, little bounce – switch ring – tour jete 1/2 – memmel turn, around for credit – back 2.5 to front lay, stuck – double pike, near stick, little hop. Amazing.

China gains 1.233 on bars over qualification. The US gains .800, so China gains back some of the deficit but not a whole lot. They’ll basically need to gain more than a point per beam routine on the US next, which is very doable.

Rotation 3