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

Ke QQ – BB – China – switch moutn, little pause before switch 1/2 – fhs front tuck, leg up wobble – aerial to split ring to korbut – switch ring, ltitle step back – sdie aerial, holds into straddle to split – full turn – double tuck, step back. Hit, solid, broke connections, but OK. 14.400. Up 5 tenths on her fall in qualification.

Fontaine – UB – Canada – toe full to maloney to gienger, legs together – blind to jaeger, loses form in swing but hits the release – pak to van leeuwen, small leg sep – short hs on high – DLO, hop back. Good.

13.966 hit DTY from Nishiyama.

Caylor – BB – USA – switch mount, hit – bhs loso loso, secure, knee position but solid – split ring jump, arm wave correction – swide aerial to switch to sissone, a little tentative on sissone but keeps moving through to combo – aerial to split to korbut, gets the connection – wolf double, hit, small check – bhs bhs double pike, a the troubles real again, sits it down. US couldn’t afford that.

13.966 DTY from Kishi as well. A look back at Nishiyama’s vault, little hop back, some knee, nice one.

Just 12.333 for Caylor on beam. Eeessh.

Charpy – VT – France – Yfull, pike throughout, little hop up in place.

E Black – UB – Canada – maloney to piked hindorff to pak, hit – shaposh to clear hip 1/2 is very off, late didn’t get it around – corrects and does yezhova – finishes and only toes toe tuck 1/2 dismount.

Zhang – BB – China – switch to switch 1/2 to korbut, great – ro layout 2 feet, perfect – switch ring to bhs to split jump good – switch sdie to straddle to back dive, nailed it – switch to split jump 1/2 to straddle, large break, lean forward at the hips – double pike, little hop. Great. 15.066

Japan just gained another huge heap of tenths on vault.

Oliveira – UB – Brazil – maloney to pak, clean – van leeuwen, legs together – well – front giant full to piked jaeger, good – cast 1/2, past – double front 1/2 out, little hop, great.

Kishi – VT – Japan – nice DTY, little step to the side, some knees throughout

Pease – BB – USA – wolf triple, smooth – switch to split to onodi, check – bhs loso loso, secure – aerial to straddle to bhs, gets the combo well – side aerial, strong – switch 1/2, a little under split but secure – 2.5 dismount, under with a hop back. Solid work, no bhs full. Not high D score for 13.500

Marano – FX – Italy – wolf triple is comfortable – FTDT, great landing – back 1.5 to front full – double pike, also solid, little hop

Serber – VT – France – struggles to control the Y1.5 with a large bound forward out of the lines

Let’s go find Claire getting taped in a hallway to show her score.

Qiu – BB – China – bhs mount, check – bhs back tuck, secure – switch, switch 1/2, korbut, a little slow in combo but nice elements – aerial to split ring jump to bhs, gets the combo – side aerial to split to straddle – switch ring, leg-up wobble – double pike dismount, very deep, lunge forward

Sugihara – VT – Japan – DTY is super high, just a ltitle big chest down to land with a hop back. Japan basically couldn’t have asked for a better day through three events. Let’s goooooo.

Just a 13.900 for Qiu because of all the broken connections. Gave a lifeline to the US if Blakely can hit a big one. Japan also right in contention here because they still get to bars.

Prat – VT – France – nice work on Y1.5, little hop, little bit of knees

Blakely – BB – USA – wolf triple, nice – back tuck full, strong – fhs front tuck, bigger wobble, leg up, keeps it on the beam – front pike, another bigger wobble, leg up – switch to switch 1/2, hit – aerial to split to bhs – double tuck dismount, pulls for her life and hits it with hop back. Not her strongest but a stay on.

Ooof, just 13.266 for Blakely. Also got annihilated on D score. Did they say she didn’t have a dance combo?

She’s like are you kidding me, with that 5.3 D score.

After 3
1. China – 126.798
2. United States – 124.598
3. Japan – 123.631
4. France – 121.398
5. Canada – 120.230
6. Brazil – 119.198
7. WG2 Russia – 119.095
8. Italy – 118.497

This is very very close and Japan is right in this with a hit bars score. Ack ack ack.

Rotation 4

Caylor – FX – USA – memmel turn, questionably around – DLO, p[ikes down some at the end, controls it, small hop – whip full to double tuck to front tuck, lands under with a step back or two – wolf is hit well – double L is around – double pike, a little deep, hop back – tour jete 1/2 to switch 1/2

Serber – UB – France – toe 1/2 to piked jaeger, nice – pak, clean – maloney to gienger good legs together – giant full – DLO, stuck. Perfect routine for her. 13.433

Woah, 13.600 for Caylor on floor is a huge number and upgrade over qualification.

Zhang – FX – China – split jump 1.5 is around – FTDT, good control, chest down – front full, clean – switch ring and tour jete 1/2, good – wolf – double pike, hop back – switch ring 1/2, around. Nice one. 13.033 also a huge gain on qualification for her.

Okamura – UB – Japan – inbar fuill to stalder 1/2 – pak. clean – stalder to maloney to gienger, hit – toe full, great finish into FTDT, step back. 13.933. That works for a first score.

Pease – FX – USA – Moors, pikes down at the end, hop back – double double tuck, hop back – switch ring to switch 1/2 – back 1.5 to rudi, hop back, some knee position – wolf double – back 2.5, leg crossing, little slide together. 13.933 also a massive upgrade on day 1.

Charpy – UB – France – super close on opening hindorff but works through it – ends up taking her DLO to her knees and staying there because the world is a ball of misery and disappointment. 11.866

Ke QQ – FX – China – not quite around on wolf double – 3/1, bounce back – split jump full – front tuck through to 2/1, nice landing stuck – switch ring is perfect to split ring 1/2 – double tuck, a bit deep with a hop forward – switch ring 1/2, also well done. 13.100, she’s up 7 tenths on qualification. China matching the US upping their scores.

Nakamura – UB – Japn – in progress inbar full to yehova, hit with a leg separation – maloney to gienger, a little close – toe full to FTDT, hop back. 13.966, also works well for them.

China has 8 tenths on the USA going to the last floor routines.

Esponda – FX – USA – double double tuck, huge bounce back OOB – whip to DLO is good, pikes down, stuck landing – wolf triple is around and then a little more – front tuck through to double tuck, another very large bounce back – tour jete 1/2 and switch 1/2 are under split – double pike, deep, lunge back. Will need help from China now. 13.400, could have been worse.

Nishiyama – UB – Japan – NOOOOOOOOOOOOO comes off in inbar full. It’s ruined. Restarts with van leeuwen – jam to piked jaeger is nice – pak, hit – maloney to gienger, a little low, leg separation – FTDT, stuck

Qiu needs better than 12.6 on floor.

12.533 for Nishiyama will still easily be enough for bronze.

Qiu – FX – China – memmel turn is good – double pike, medium bounce back – front full, step dance out – split ring 1/2 – popa – double tuck, clean, hop back – switch ring – switch 1/2. A good hit, similar to qualification. It’s the reality of the current code. She did barely anything and it will win.

12.833 for Qiu, China takes gold by about 2 tenths.

FINAL
1. China – 165.764
2. USA – 165.531
3. Japan – 164.064
4. France – 161.130
5. Brazil – 159.730
6. WG2 Russia – 159.394
7. Italy – 158.129
8. Canada – 158.096

Japan! First worlds team medal in 60 years. They legitimately were in this for gold, too, if Nishiyama had hit, but such a big deal for them to win a team medal, and absolutely warranted for this group. Huge improvement over qualification.

Historic win for China, breaking the US streak of 7 worlds. It’s giving 2008 quad heading into one of the two hosting the Olympics, and I’m here for it. China did it with beam, beam, beam. It’s just so much better and more difficult. Very similar to the United States of Amanar days. The frustrating part is the inscrutability, as in no one wants to tell you why D scores get annihilated on beam.

China had to eat a couple of lower ones, the Zhang vault, the Qiu beam D score getting smeeshed, but they hit 12-for-12, and the US hit 11-for-12. Sometimes it’s also just as simple as that.