Tokyo 2020 | Russia win gymnastics team final after Biles retires

Qualifying was a harbinger of the surprise that occurred today. For the first time in ten years, it was not the American gymnasts, but the Russian gymnasts who were the best in the qualification.

The highlight of the team final came when the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the United States entered the first jump. Nineteen-time world champion and four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles performed her yurchenko with two and a half screws, the amanar, with one screw too little. The jump was therefore worth 5 points instead of 5.8. After this disappointment, she decided to quit the game and pass the baton to her three teammates.

Commenting after the game, Biles said it wasn’t a physical injury that ruled her out of the game. The pressure on the versatile is too strong: “I am concentrating on my mental health.

The American women who stepped into action in Biles’ shoes didn’t get the scores Biles would get on devices. Russian gymnasts eagerly took advantage of this opportunity. Especially the Russian Angelina Melnikova excelled, although she caused problems for her team after falling from the beam. The big star on the American side was Sunisa Lee who showed her competitors that she had to be considered in the all-around final.

Behind the leading countries, America and Russia, Great Britain surprisingly won the bronze medal. The bronze was the first medal since the 1928 Games in Amsterdam for the British women’s gymnastics team.

The all-around final is scheduled for Thursday at 12:50 p.m.

WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING?

The Olympic flame is burning. All sports can be seen live on Eurosport and on discovery +. A subscription to discovery + (including access to all entertainment programs) costs € 5.99 per month and temporarily € 29.99 per year, here you can broadcast all sports and all medals won during the Olympic Games. There’s also the daily Medal Zone switching schedule on Eurosport 1 and discovery + so you don’t miss out on any of the action.