Simone Biles mixed brilliance with an unfamiliar touch of the erratic as she launched into Tokyo 2020 action, just about keeping alive the prospect of beating her Rio haul of four gold medals.
The American gymnastics great headed the all-around individual standings, just ahead of the impressive Brazilian Rebeca Andrade, with USA team-mate Sunisa Lee in third.
She remains in the hunt in six events, but it was far from a dominant Biles at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, and the United States team as a whole had an unusually mediocre day. The Russian Olympic Committee gymnasts finished above them in the team standings for the first time since 2010 at a major event.
Russia's score of 171.629 suggested they can post a major challenge in the final to the usually dominant United States (170.562), although Biles and her team-mates will want to prove themselves once again.
Since 2011, the USA have won team gold at all five World Championships and both Olympic Games, in London and Rio.
Biles' landings were not near as sure-footed as they have so typically been, and in her floor exercise she misjudged a tumbling pass to such an extent she stepped back all the way off the raised floor.
Tom Forster, high performance co-ordinator for the USA, was taken aback by Biles' mistakes.
He said: "That was a surprise. She's been incredibly consistent and I'm sure she feels bad, but I'm super proud of the way she trained.
"She's been a great leader for us. Sometimes, just like in other sports, great athletes drop the ball in the end zone or a quarterback throws an interception. It happens. Those steps are mental errors."
At one point it appeared Biles might miss out on the eight-woman final of the uneven bars, but she squeezed in, benefiting from the rule that allows only two athletes from each nation in the final. Biles finished 10th in qualifying, but four Russian competitors were ahead of her, with two of those unable to advance.
It means she remains in the hunt for titles in all six of her events, including the team competition, for which Forster will look to ensure Biles and her team-mates are thoroughly prepared.
"Staying in bounds would help. Simone took three big steps on her beam dismount. I've never seen her do that before," Forster said.
The challenge of the Russian team could lift the Americans, or it could point to a changing of the guard at the top of women's gymnastics.
Forster is only looking to the former, saying: "This might be a great awakening for us, and we'll take advantage of it."
While 24-year-old Biles battles to recover peak form in time for Tuesday's team final, Olympic veteran Oksana Chusovitina has reached the end of the road in her Games career.
Competing at her eighth Olympics, the 46-year-old took part in the vault but failed to qualify for the final.
Chusovitina, who has previously competed for the Soviet Union and Germany and made her Games debut in 1992, was back representing her native Uzbekistan in Tokyo and received an ovation from her rivals after producing two valiant vaults.
"It was really nice. I cried tears of happiness because so many people have supported me for a long time," she said of the recognition.
"I feel very proud and happy. I'm saying goodbye to sports. It's kind of mixed feelings. I'm alive, I'm happy, I'm here without any injuries, and I can stand on my own."
Talented 52-member team to represent T&T at inagural Carifta Gymnastics Champs
Trinidad and Tobago has named a 52-member team for the inaugural Carifta Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which will see a plethora of the regions rising stars showcase their skills at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston, Jamaica, from November 29-30.
The team to represent the Twin Island Republic across 10 categories was selected after a recent two-day trial event at Woodbrook Youth Facility.
Gymnasts were selected from eight clubs, with Tots & Tumblers (28) and Olympia (14) set to field the most representatives at the event, which will also see Barbados, Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, along with host Jamaica, in action.
Thema Williams Gymnastics Academy (three), Gymnastics Explorers and Lees Gymnastics qualified two, while Academic Flippers, Golden Stars Gymnastics Academy and Mucurapo Artistic Achievers all qualified one athlete.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Gymnastics Federation explained that athletes who qualified were required to make minimum scores and finish in the top four positions within their level and age group to earn an automatic placement on the team.
“The fifth and final spots within each level and age group were subsequently awarded to the fifth place all-around qualifiers out of the trials event,” the federation said in a statement.
Anabeth Vargas (Panama) and Mabel Moreno (Colombia) officiated at the trials.
Team:
USAG Level 1 – Andaya Singh, Azalea Pierre, Brittney Joseph, Genesis Canzius, Imani Regis, Janicia Hall, Krisanne Ramoutar, Ricquel Marcellin, Sophie Espinoza, Yarii Alexander
USAG Level 2 – Ashley Castillo, Avni Lopez, Eemaan Boucaud, Harleigh Chin Leung Kam, Keira-Leigh John, Kenzie Gonzales, Larisah Nevins, Miya Mondesir, Savannah Thomson, Xara Rampersad
USAG Level 3 – Arya Hagley, Bren Newallo-Badal, Cacique Darbeau, Isoke Morgan, Jael Baker, Kyra Johnson, Zariah Dopwell-Gittens, Zoey Ottley
USAG Level 4 – Aaliyah Gosai, Annabelle Aanensen, Asia Ali, Jaelyn Heywood, Me’Hera Callendar, M’Kaiyah Williams, Onia Hepburn
USAG Level 5 – Alicja Chang Kit, Alissa Mathias, Gabriella Christopher
USAG Level 6 – Chelsea Edwards, Haley Caldeira, Soriya Alleyne
USAG Level 7 – Amba Boodansingh, Gabrielle Webb, Michaela Francis, Shanika Joseph, Tessica Laurence, Tyanna Edwards, Yandy Stafford
USAG Level 8 – Annaleigh Edwards, Dailia Burke, Kathryn Alexander
USAG Level 9 – Alora Morang
PAGU Hopes – Shanika Joseph, Yandy Stafford, M’Kaiyah Wiliiams (level one), Annaleigh Edwards, Alora Morang (level two), Dailia Burke (level three)
Bajan coach Alison Jackson cautiously optimistic about chances in inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Champs
With the inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Championships fast approaching, Barbados head coach Alison Jackson expressed cautious optimism about her team’s chances of topping rivals at the event, which will be held at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Jamaica.
Jackson, a long-time coach of Flip Gym, shared her views shortly after a 15-member team was named to represent the Barbados Gymnastics Association (BAGA) at the November 29-30 event.
She believes that despite Barbados being represented internationally at various levels over the years, the island is still yet to reach its full potential, and that scope for growth is again evident where team selection is concerned.
"Well, I have to say that we are at a disadvantage in terms of athlete selection. I’m the only one that offers a competitive programme at the moment, so all of the gymnasts have been selected from my gym through my staff. We sat and discussed and looked at results for the season to make our recommendations to the association about who we think our top athletes are going to be at each level,” Jackson said.
“Trinidad is ahead of us in terms of how long they’ve had organised gymnastics classes going. So Trinidad alone has 17 clubs to choose from. So our group is very small, we only have 15 girls going, but we’ve picked the best of our 15 girls. So I expect to definitely be coming back with some medals for Barbados,” she added.
The Carifta Gymnastics Championships, which has been under consideration for years now, will now come to fruition, with teams from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands set to take part.
“It’s finally happening. Jamaica is hosting the first one, and we are going to be having most of the countries in our region follow the USA’s developmental programme, which is level-based,” Jackson, a former vice president of BAGA, shared.
“So there’s 10 levels, so they’re going to have that, as well as elite level gymnastics, which is the International Gymnastics Federation or FIG level gymnastics. So there’ll be two streams, which is great because not all of the islands have elite level gymnasts as yet. So we’ll give all the kids who are eligible an opportunity to compete and represent their country at the Carifta Games at whatever level they’re at,” she explained.
That said, Jackson expressed hope that the advent of a regional competition for gymnastics will show people that Caribbean kids have other possible pathways to excel on the international stage.
“We’re hoping that it will broaden everybody’s horizons and bring more awareness to gymnastics generally within our own island and across the Caribbean. I’ve been coaching kids in Barbados for years. I’ve taken kids to the USA; I’ve taken them to training camps with the US national team coaches. I mean, we’ve done lots of stuff, but everyone’s just thinking this is only starting now. But it’s been going on for a long time, so it’s just getting it out there and getting more recognition,” Jackson noted.
Barbados team: Jazara Lavine, Ciara Freeman, Za’Nyah Bostic-White, Daniella Small, Juliette Sonny, Mariah Gill, Cyrina Walcott-Lloyd, Oyinda Buluro, Amber Haynes, Dominique Thompson, Khaleesi Marshall, Sya Franklyn, Freya-Rose Smith, Thaliyah Dowrich, Mishka Mapp.
Biles: Olympic performance beyond my wildest dreams
Simone Biles feels she achieved beyond her "wildest dreams" at the Paris Olympic Games despite failing to add to her three gold medals for the year on Monday.
Having won gold in the team, all-around and vault events, Biles was looking to round off her trip to France with more success in Monday's balance beam and floor finals.
However, the Team USA star fell from the beam and finished fifth in the former event before missing out on gold in the latter, instead taking silver behind Brazil's Rebeca Andrade.
Overall, Biles has now won 11 Olympic medals in total – seven gold, two silver and two bronze.
Larisa Latynina, who won 18 medals for the Soviet Union, is the most successful female gymnast in Olympic history.
She was not upset with herself for failing to get closer to that record, though, telling reporters: "I'm not upset about my performance, I'm actually happy, proud and even more excited that it's over, the stress of it.
"I've accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics but in the sport, so I can't be mad at my performances.
"I'm pretty proud of myself and it's always so exciting to compete."
Biles' compatriot Jordan Chiles took bronze in the floor event following a successful appeal to her score, after which the two Americans bowed to Andrade on the podium.
"First, it was an all-black podium so that was super exciting for us but then Jordan was like 'should we bow to her?' and I was like, 'absolutely'," Biles said.
"She's such an excitement to watch. It was just the right thing to do."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
