Category: Olympics

Simone and Aly to the AA Final

The favourites to finish #1 and #2.

Recall it was Gabby who finished ahead of Aly last year at Worlds Glasgow.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 29: (l-r) Larisa Andreea Iordache of Romania wins bronze, Simone Biles of USA wins gold and Gabrielle Douglas of USA wins silver medal in the All-Around Final on day seven of the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships at The SSE Hydro on October 29, 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – OCTOBER 29: (l-r) Larisa Andreea Iordache of Romania wins bronze, Simone Biles of USA wins gold and Gabrielle Douglas of USA wins silver medal in the All-Around Final on day seven of the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships at The SSE Hydro on October 29, 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Aly was better than Gabby today in prelims. There’s no controversy.

No controversy aside from the boo birds who will again be calling to eliminate the maximum two / nation rule for finals. In London it was Gabby qualifying to the AA final over Jordyn Wieber. Today Gabby knows how Jordyn felt in 2012.

USA Olympic finalists

The toughest competition in Rio is between the American team members to see who would finish top 2.

Vault: Simone (1st)
Bars: Madison (1st), Gabby (3rd)
Beam: Simone (1st), Laurie (2nd)
Floor: Simone (1st), Aly (2nd)

Four of five subdivisions are complete. But there’s no doubt that those will hold up.

It was as dominant a team performance as I can ever recall. Like some of the Soviet Union preliminary meets back in the 1980s.

congratulations USA Gymnastics

Five Olympians will compete in Rio.

They are the best team because of the huge support system. Thousands of clubs. A great competitive structure. The NCAA program.

Everyone involved in USA Gymnastics should take pride in their collective accomplishment today. 🙂

Of all the terrific videos I’ve seen leading up to Rio, this Under Armour edit is still my favourite. It hints at the amount of work needed.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Rebeca Andrade – Bars

After 3/5 qualifying subdivisions Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade leads the AA with a 58.732.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/coach_megan_/status/762373338828271617

Dipa’s Handspring double front

It doesn’t look like she’ll qualify to the Vault final.

https://twitter.com/uncletimmensgym/status/762347182632546304