2008 Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team Competition
What to Expect from the US, China, and Russia in Finals
Aug 11, 2008
In qualifying, the US got off to a shaky start, but this could be a good sign for one of the two teams favored to win gold in the team finals competition. The US showed emotional strength, rallying after a poor performance on uneven bars to turn out stellar scores on the balance beam. If the numbers from qualifying are any indication, a strong score on the bars could put the US in gold medal position.
Uneven Bars: Strong for the Russians and Chinese, Daunting for the United States
In the qualifying round of the Olympic women’s gymnastics competition, China finished in the top position, scoring first on floor and bars and second on vault and beam. The US women performed particularly poorly on bars, on which they placed third, scoring first on vault and beam and second on floor. Russia, on the other hand, scored third on all events but uneven bars.
It is unlikely that Russia will be able to manage a second-place position in the team competition, with the third place spot almost a lock given the difference between the Russian and Romanian skill levels, but both Russia and China are strong on bars, the American team’s weakest event. If these two teams post high scores on bars it could rattle the US women, who will need the emotional fortitude they showed on Sunday to prevail.
However, in the team finals, only three women compete on each event and all scores count. This means that no team can afford a fall – and Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, and He Kexin all fell on bars in qualifying – but it also could be an advantage for the US, whose field on bars is not particularly deep. Liukin and Memmel are both capable of posting high scores on this event, if the US decides to give them both a second chance.
US Strengths: Vault and Beam
In qualifying, the US led China by about four tenths of a point on both vault and beam. The Chinese are typically strong on beam, and Chinese teammate Cheng Fei put up a vault score above sixteen in qualifying (as did Johnson). Shawn Johnson and Alicia Sacramone are both very strong vaulters, but the US will be counting on all three women to score strong again on these two events, and will also be hoping to close the gap on floor (seven tenths of a point in qualifying).
If the US women perform solidly, with no low scores on any event, they will have a very good chance at a gold medal. The US women’s difficulty is on par with the Chinese on most events, with scores of sixteen or higher certain possible. It is worth noting that Liukin scored 15.950 on bars, even with a fall, and could potentially earn the top score on that event. Though the beam has been a stressful event in the past for the American team, this group of women have shown that they, like the Chinese, can be graceful under pressure.
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