Presenting far more information than you need about every subdivision of women’s qualification at worlds.
Subdivision 1
October 27, 2:00am ET/11:00pm PT
Team Belgium
Team Argentina
Team Poland
Team Latvia
Individuals from Algeria, Philippines, Guatemala, and Jordan
What to know
Team Belgium: After Belgium’s performance in qualification at the European Championship—defeating Great Britain and the Netherlands—it would be foolish to discount this Belgian squad’s chances to make the team final here, but it will be a difficult climb.
From the perspective of a neutral, having Belgium in the first subdivision is excellent because the team score will provide us with a team final cut-off standard as we watch the later contending teams compete. Any contender must beat Belgium’s score to be in with a shot.
The primary individual priority for Belgium will be getting likely gold medal favorite Nina Derwael into the bars final. Derwael and Axelle Klinckaert are both solid picks to make the all-around final, and Klinckaert has an outside shot at the floor final depending on how the days play out.
Team Argentina: Argentina has come on fiercely in the last year or so, turning itself into a team contender on the back of new senior Martina Dominici.
We haven’t typically given much time to Argentina’s team chances, but this year, the squad is very much in contention for a top-24 place (to advance as a team to 2019) with a solid qualification day. Still, Argentina is a cusp team, so it’s going to take a better-than-average performance. If Dominici is on, she’s also in the mix for making the all-around final, which would be a thing.
Team Poland: Poland is in a fairly similar position to Argentina in that a top-24 place is very possible, but definitely not a given if the team doesn’t hit the majority of its routines. Depth will be a concern as Poland is sending just four competitors, but with Janik’s all-around, the beam and floor of Pihan-Kulesza, and the beam of Jurkowska-Kowalska, the routines should be there for a competitive finish.
Team Latvia: Latvia is sending just three competitors. That would still be enough for a team score this year should they all compete the all-around, but it’s unclear whether the squad will actually do that. New senior Elina Vihrova hasn’t competed the non-bars events since last December.
Individuals: Jana Mouffok, whom we’ve seen at domestic French competitions before, will be representing Algeria for the first time here, Corinne Bunagan from ENA Paramus will be representing the Philippines once again, and Jordan is slated to send a competitor in Ruba Aldaoud. Ana Palacios of Guatemala finished 9th on floor at Pan Ams, breaking 13.
Subdivision 2
October 27, 4:00am ET/1:00am PT
Team Japan
Team Australia
Team South Korea
Team Costa Rica
Individuals from Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan
What to know
Team Japan: Despite the absence of Sae Miyakawa, Japan is fully expecting to make the team final here and contend for a team medal. Based on the scoring shown so far this year, Japan should have ample room for mistakes in qualification while still advancing to the team final.
Individually, Mai Murakami is quite possibly the best non-American contender in the all-around field and will be going for the medal that eluded her so heartbreakingly last year. Murakami should be joined in the AA by another top-10 qualifier from her own team, the question is, who? Who gets to do the all-around in the first place, and who will win the intra-Japan battle for the second spot in the final? My money is always on Asuka Teramoto, but Aiko Sugihara took 6th place in last year’s final, and Hitomi Hatakeda could be in there if she’s given the chance to do all the events instead.
On the apparatuses, Murakami will expect to make the floor final and can medal there, and it wouldn’t be worlds without Asuka Teramoto sneaking into the beam final even though you kind of forgot her there.
Team Australia: We’ve been patiently waiting for the triumphant Australian reemergence into the realm of the world’s best, but it looks like that will have to wait. This current Australian team is extremely injured, and the squad will be without Georgia Godwin, Rianna Mizzen, and Talia Folino in Doha—last year’s three worlds competitors. Australia is likely now just looking to make sure everything goes to plan so there’s no risk of being slammed outside the top 24, as well as getting Georgia-Rose Brown into the AA final, which is a possibility. Continue reading World Championships Qualification Preview
