US Women Gymnasts Dominate Rio Olympics 2016 Qualifying; Schedule and Updates
In a sport defined by fractions, the US Women's Gymnastics team swept Sunday's qualifying round by a whopping 10 points, dominating the round for the team all-around final in a secure first place.
Led by 19-year-old phenom and three-time world champion Simone Biles, who got top scores in three out of four individual rotations--floor exercise (15.733), vault (16.050), and balance beam (15.633)--the Americans sent a message to its competition that it could very well be a race for the silver.
Who are the early leaders?
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With a score of 185.238, the American team topped China and Russia--and the competition was not even that close. Even if the Americans exchanged its highest for its lowest score per event, it will still dominate the event with a comfortable six-point margin.
Biles, two-time Olympian Aly Raisman, and Gabby Douglas also posted first, second, and third, consecutively, in the individual all-around standings. Meanwhile, Madeline Kocian qualified first for the uneven bars with 15.866.
Powerful American team
Truly, the Americans have nothing to fear. Biles, Raisman, and Douglas were the only gymnast to top 60 points in the all-around individuals. Biles, who hasn't lost a single one of the past three world championships, is widely considered to be a shoo-in for the gold.
However, a two-per-country rule in the Olympics has deterred Raisman and her bid to win back-to-back golds in the all-around final, who was edged out by Raisman by a mere 0.351 in what the ecstatic gymnast called the "best vault (she) has ever done in (her) life."
Despite this heartbreaking news for Douglas, the team is poised to prepare for the team final on Tuesday for the goal of winning home a team gold medal.
Martha Karolyi, the national team coordinator, acknowledged that the routines were not "100 percent perfection," but relished in showing their high-level gymnastics.
How to watch?
For those who want to watch the Rio Olympics Gymnastics competition, audiences can watch on NBC at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 10, or they can watch live online.
