Have you ever heard of “Kurama Man”?
The U.S. team has the advantage heading into today
The women’s gymnastics team will enter the team final as the overwhelming favorites after a dominant performance in the preliminary rounds. NBC’s Kaylee Hartung reports on “Today.”
What’s left of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team
The U.S. men’s team still has a chance to add to their medal collection after winning a much-needed bronze medal yesterday.
Tomorrow, Frédéric Richard and Paul Judah will compete in the Individual All-Around Final after placing 10th and 13th respectively in the preliminary rounds.
Neither are at the top of their game, but Richard could be in contention for the podium after his explosive performance in yesterday’s team final.
One-hit wonder Steven Nedorosik will show his true colors in the pommel horse final on Aug. 3. He placed second in the heats and is expected to bring home a medal for Team USA.
Hesley Rivera will not compete in the team finals
For 16-year-old Hesley Rivera, her Olympic dreams were a reality even before she got her driver’s license. She made the Olympic team filled with medal winners and international stars, but being on a team as loaded as the U.S. team can have its downsides.
Rivera did not qualify for the team finals, which means she cannot lose a point. She will not play in today’s game, but will remain on the field as a backup in case of a disaster and to cheer on her teammates.
If the team makes it onto the podium, Rivera will also receive a medal for contributing to the team’s points in Sunday’s qualifying round.
Simone Biles Poised to Break Olympic Medal Record
If the U.S. women win a medal today, Simone Biles will officially become the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history.
She is currently tied with “Magnificent Seven” star Shannon Miller with seven Olympic medals, and if she reaches the podium today, that would bring her Olympic medal tally to eight.
Biles is already the most decorated gymnast of all time by any country, including World Championship medals, and she now has 37 combined World Championship and Olympic medals.
Rivera could become youngest gymnastics medalist since the London Olympics
Sixteen-year-old Hesley Rivera could become the youngest gymnast from an international background to win an Olympic gold medal since America’s Kyla Ross in 2012.
Although Rivera was not on the final team roster, she competed in the qualifying rounds and will be in line for a medal if her team finishes in the top three.
Simone is about to make more history
At 27, Simone Biles will be the oldest woman from a country to win an Olympic gymnastics gold medal since 1964, according to OlyMADMen, a database used by the International Olympic Committee.
Aly Raisman is currently the oldest American female gymnast in history to win an Olympic gold medal, having won it in 2016 at age 22.
Jordan Chiles almost quit gymnastics because of racism, but now she’s aiming for gold
When U.S. Olympic gymnast Jordan Childs was 17, one of her former coaches called her “two-headed” because, as she recalled, her hair was “too long,” and her dark skin led some to suspect she was her mother’s daughter.
These common occurrences, and the overall lack of diversity in amateur gymnastics, made Childs consider quitting the sport she loves.
“I wanted to quit because I didn’t feel like the sport needed me,” Childs told NBC’s “My New Favorite Olympian” podcast. “People were like, ‘This beautiful black girl is not a good enough girl to be a good enough black girl.’ [leotard] already.”
But Childs chose to persevere. Instead of giving up, she continued to embrace her true self and embarked on a journey to empower women of color.
Read the full story here.
How is gymnastics scored?
While a “perfect 10” still exists in gymnastics, it is no longer the only standard used to calculate scores. Gymnasts today receive scores in two separate categories for each routine: difficulty and execution. Difficulty scores are unlimited, but execution is scored out of 10.00 points.
The difficulty level and performance scores are combined to arrive at a final number. To maximize their score, gymnasts will perform the most difficult routines possible while minimizing performance deductions.
Learn more about what Olympic judges look for in our Gymnastics Scoring 101 guide.
Host nation France does not compete in women’s gymnastics final
Host nation France will likely not play today.
After the qualifying rounds on Sunday, France was not among the top eight teams advancing to today’s team final, placing 11th out of 12 teams.
The U.S. team, which was in first place as of Sunday, will face Italy, China, Brazil, Japan, Canada, Great Britain and Romania today in a bid to return to the top of the podium.
