Day 1 of competition brought us the expected massive Simone Biles AA lead, enjoying a casual margin of 2.550. I want her to just do a 2.0 D floor routine today and see if she can still win. “You came her for a DLO 1/1??? Well here’s a front lay and a straight jump. Bye.”
Meanwhile, Shilese Jones picked up where she left off in 2022 with a hit second-place result, and Skye Blakely continued her solid summer in third place, a few tenths ahead of Leanne Wong’s lovely performance.
All four will mostly look to mimic their performances again tonight to set themselves up well for selection camp, especially since nothing is actually being named today.
Elsewhere, floor is going to be a ride. As of the first day, Kaliya Lincoln was on the highest-scoring team because of her gigantic 14.350 on floor compared to Carey on 13.350, Roberson on 13.300, and Chiles on 13.100. The rest need to close the gap. Although for Carey along with Kayla DiCello, the biggest focus will be on getting out of, you know, 19th place.
In the vault warmup just now, I didn’t see Simone do a double pike, just the Cheng.
We’re welcoming the 2008 Olympic teams. Only some of the women got the “on Sundays we wear red” text.
Rotation 1
Sumanasekera – VT – good height on DTY, medium step back, nice. 14.100
Jong – BB – switch mount – falls on side aerial, but hits her loso + loso today.
Madray Johnson finishes floor with double tuck, kind of an awkward step back OOB.
Biles – VT – does indeed do the Cheng, medium lunge back, more control than on day 1 or the warmup. Will score big of course.
13.600 for Zhoi on bars.
Disidore – UB – stalder 1/2 to jaeger, good height, some feet – Church to pak, legs apart but hit – van leeuwen – toe full, quite late – double tuck, hop forward.
Chiles – VT – DTY – good height and direction today, bounce back
14.850 for Biles on vault. 14.250 for Chiles.
Jones – BB – switch mount to switch 1/2 is hit – Arabian, wobble but holds onto it – bhs bhs layout two feet, also hit with a slight correction, some pike, good height – side aerial, hit – switch to sissone, good positions, little arm correction – bhs bhs double pike, step back.
Good one for her, no major errors, and through her most challenging event.
Large bound forward for Miller on Y1.5 on vault.
They’ve posted a 5.0 D score for Miller instead of 4.6 for her Y1.5, which she definitely did, so that 14.000 score that’s up is definitely wrong.
Now they’ve fixed the D but not the E and ND yet. Should be 13.400 we think.
Lincoln – FX -double double tuck, step back OOB but excellent in the air – DLO 1/1, lands short today, hop forward – switch ring, lovely, to split leap full – wolf triple – switch full will be a credit question for around, good split of course – front full to double tuck is excellent. Not quite the level of day 1, but she should still manage a higher E than most.
Nola Matthews very checky on beam but staying on.
It was 14.300 for Jones on beam, which is a giant number.
Lincoln still goes 14.050 on floor with an E score over 8.
Jung-Ruivivar – FX – FTDT, step back OOB – back 1/1 to front full, also a step OOB – switch ring to switch 1/2, a highlight – doesn’t get her wolf double around, like 1.75 and a had down – double y spin is closer – double tuck, step back.
So after half of one rotation, Simone. Jones majorly extending her second-place advantage with that beam.
DiCello – FX – double double is hit, slide back, stays in bounds – pulls around her wolf truple, slow at the end – split jump full – back 1.5 to front full, hop – switch ring to split leap full, under split but around – double pike, a bit short, covers it with only a little movement, a Florida stick.
Caylor pulls around a DTY, chest well down but hit.
Roberson – VT 1 – Cheng, pretty solid control on landing, small rebound, a bit forward in chest, legs, lots of direction. Good one overall.
Wong – BB – side aerial to switch, breaks connection into wolf jump full but good split of course – bhs loso, nice – L turn to full turn – switch ring, iffy but secure – side somi, hit – aerial, hesitation before split jump straddle – 2.5 dismount, small hop and then slide salute.
Blakely – FX – hands down on her double double, alas. Almost took it to handstand.
Roberson pretty large bounce back on her DTY second vault.
Blakely also a step OOB on her front through to double tuck. Sigh.
14.450 today for Roberson’s Cheng.
Carey – UB – Ray, hit – blind to yezhova, solid – maloney with some legs into bhardwaj, smooth – van leeuwen, lots of leg form but catches – giant full gets slightly crooked but through it – FTDT, hop.
Wong still goes 13.700, which is a good sign for her because she was more connection hesitant today. That will keep her ahead of Chiles in the AA for now.
Just 12.200 for Blakely on floor. She falls behind Wong, Chiles, and Lincoln for now.
Sullivan – FX – DLO 1/1, good chest up, step back OOB – DLO, bounce back – switch ring, good into split leap full, around well – front tuck through to double tuck, slide back, feet flexed – switch 1/2 – wolf 2.25, slightly rickety but fine – double pike, bounce. That’s more the kind of routine that has had her in the mix before.
13.350.
Carey improves on her bars from day 1 by more than a point but remains in 19th.
After 1:
1. Biles – 74.150
2. Jones – 71.050
3. Wong – 69.050
4. Chiles – 68.850
5. Lincoln – 68.050
6. Blakely – 67.900
Rotation 2
Lincoln – VT – great height on DTY, just a bit of leg separation in twist, lunge back. 13.900
Chiles – UB – good first hs – toe full to giant swing to tkatchev piked and falls. Hmmmm. Resumes with a clean rest of the routine – sticks her FTFT.
Matthews – FX – FTDT, step back OOB – switch 1/2 – a little short on her 2.5, hop back – leg up hop full is excellent wolf double, around with arms – double tuck, solid control.
Good double pike dismount from Disidore on beam.
12.950 from Chiles on bars hurts.
DiCello – VT – good DTY, nice distance and direction, some knees, small hop back.
Miller – UB – good first hs – inbar full is hit today into stalder shap – inbar 1/2 to jaeger, good – Stalder tkatchev piked to pak – van leeuwen – DLO, some legs, small step. That was more her routine. Will be a big number.
Good DTY for Blakely, small hop back. Following 14.100 for DiCello, she goes 14.250.
Blakely’s second vault is a nice Lopez, good open, hop back. One of her best in the air.
14.400 bars for Miller. Not her highest, but a good number.
Lew – UB – stalder full, lovely into maloney to pak, nice amplitude – stalder to stalder shap to inbar gienger – toe 1/2 and hits her feet on the low bar swinging through and has to come off, well now I hate everything.
Blakely has moved back ahead of Lincoln now, both ahead of Chiles in the AA.
Wong – FX – wolf double, around – double double tuck, good control on landing – DLO, also only little movement – leg up hop full to switch 1/2 – L turn double, a little jiggly on the ball of the foot in the second turn – 1/2 to front full, small hop – double pike, chest forward but great control again. Honestly probably her best tumbling landings in an elite routine ever. Excellent.
Caylor – UB – toe full, good to maloney to pak, smooth – van leeuwen, good – stalder to blind to front giant to jaeger, fingetips but got it – DLO, chest forward, step. But nice one.
And it’s a 14.000 floor for Wong.
Booth – BB – bhs loso, secure landing – switch to split jump to straddle, nice spl;its, little correction on landing – side aerial, arm wave to the side – switch 1/2 – split ring jumpaerial, way short, nearly an amazing save but comes off.
Wong opens up a big lead on Blakely-Lincoln-Chiles after that floor. Going to vault and bars, she has a good opportunity to maintain that lead.
Roberson – UB – clear hip 1/2 to yezhova is hit – well past on clear hip full – maloney to pak woith legs but through it – shoot to high – clear hip – toe on DLO, hop forward
Carey – BB – front roll mount – aerial, hit – bhs loso loso series, big break today but keeps it on, leg up to horintzonal – straight jump full from side – split 1/2 from side well under – switch to switch 1/2 to straddle, under split but secure series – side aerial, very wobbly and she’s off again – double tuck dismount, step forward.
11.800 Roberson.
Johnson nearly sits down Y1.5, deep, lunge to the side
Sumanasekera – UB – stalder full, hiot – maloney to pak, clean – van leeuwen, legs apart and crossed but hit – front giant to jaeger, close but hit – giant 1/2 – FTDT, step back. Through it.
Jones – FX – wolf is good – double double tuck, chest down, bound forward – L turn triple and it’s around! Very nice – front through to double tuck, good height, small hop – FTDT, small step – leg up full to switch 1/2, good –
(At this moment I would like to point out that Scott Bregman tried to gaslight me into thinking that was a double L, but it knew it was a triple.)
Biles – UB – weilrer 1/2 to ,aloney, legs apart, connects to giant full with some back position, into piked jaeger to pak – van leeuwen, hit – toe full is fine, a little late, into FTDT, hop. Good.
14.100 floor for Jones. 14.050 bars for Biles.
Lee – BB – wolf triple, good – aerial to split jump to bhs, connected, slight weirdy on the bhs landing, but thankfully did not fall on a BACK HANDSPRING – switch to switch 1/2 to split ring jump, nice – potential arm adjustment before the aerial but good elements – side aerial to loso loso, hit today with adjustment out – switch ring, pause before split leap – gainer tuck full, small rebound. Nice.
After 2:
1. Biles – 88.200
2. Jones – 85.150
3. Wong – 83.050
4. Blakely – 82.150
5. Lincoln – 81.950
6. Chiles – 81.800
7. Sumanasekera – 79.650
8. Fatta – 79.550
It’s 14.200 for Lee on beam,
Rotation 3
DiCello – UB – toe full is hit today into chow to clear hip to stalder tkatcehv piked – piked jaeger – pak – van leeuwen, good – FTDT, some legs, step forward, much better
Wong – VT – good DTY, a bit more chest down, hop back. 14.050. Second vault is mostly a Lopez, pretty laid out, bounce back.
13.800 for DiCello.
Blakely – UB – stalder 1/2 to piked jaeger, hit – stalder tkatchev piked to pak, good connection – toe full, great finish into van leeuwen, legs together – toe 1/2 to front giant to double front 1/2 out, small hop. Good one. Still on track with her non-floor events.
Jones – VT – DTY, nice height and direction, medium hop back, just a bit of legs. Very good. 14.400
Booth sits down a double tuck on floor.
Carey – FX – DLO 1/1 bounce back – double double tuck, bounce back – front lay to double pike, good control – double tuck, bounce back.
Roberson – BB – tuck full, hit – switch to switch 1/2 to back tuck, quite low on switch 1/2, secure series – holds onto side aerial loso loso with a check – onodi, bend forward at the hips, stays on – straddle jump from side – bhs bhs double pike, step to the side. More secure than day 1.
13.100 for Carey with 5.8/7.4 and an OOB. The theme of the year is none for Jade Carey on floor.
13.200 for Roberson on beam. 7.000 E. Also not the 14.3 from Classic…
Meanwhile, 9.950 for Sullivan on bars.
Sumanasekera – candle mount, hit – gasps from the noobs – bhs bhs layout 2 feet, right on – aerial to split to korbut, gets the series, just a bit of knee – switch to switch 1/2, feet, leg up wobble – split ring jump, hit – side aerial to wolf jump, arm wave wobble on the wolf jump – double pike, good control, small movement. 13.300, D score way down to 5.5 with broken connections.
Biles – BB – switch moun to dwitch 1/2 to back pike, connected well today – wolf triple, good – aerial, small foot adjustment before split straddle, but quick – bhs loso loso, hit – side aerial – FTDT, hop back. Good one, just small checkies.
Fatta – UB – piked jaeger, good – Church to pak, some legs but smooth – maloney, a bit low into gienger, hit – giant full, past – DLO, nice landing.
Disidore – FX – double double tuck, good, slide back – popa, around – FTDT, chest forward, slide – split leap 1.5 – switch, a bit low, switch 1/2 is better – back 1.5 to front full, some knee, hop – double pike, hop back.
Kind of a long wait for Simone’s beam score. And she goes 14.850 with full D.
Chiles – BB – bhs loso loso, huge break, thought it was going to be another epic Chiles save, but she falls – aerial to straddle, check, no series – full turn, hit – side somi, lean forward, leg up wobble – switch to sissone – side aerial is good – switch side – double pike dismount, a little forward.
Tough day for Chiles.
Lincoln – UB – stalder full, bvery past – stalder shap to tkatchev and falls – whyyyyyyy – resumes with ray to pak and the pak goes crazy lots of legs, did she have a coach touch as well? – van leeuwen – double tuck, small rebound
12.100 beam for Chiles.
Miller – BB – full turn – bhs loso loso, big arm wave wobble but saves it – beck before split to back tuck – switch to switch 1/2, under on split – side aerial, arm wave – sissone to wolf – straight jump 1/1 from side, deep landing – bhs bhs double pike, lunge back, extra step. Lots of wobbles but a stay on.
Very long time spent getting Lincoln’s bars score. Valeri waiting for the next routine staring down the judges like skeletor.
And it’s 9.900 for Lincoln, which is a real bummer for me personally.
Jung- Ruivivar – UB – jaeger, hit – stalder to stalder tkatchev ot pak, good – toe full, nice – toe on to crazy straddle van leeuwen – FTDT, step forward.
After 3:
1. Biles – 103.050
2. Jones – 99.550
3. Wong – 97.100
4. Blakely – 96.550
5. Chiles – 93.900
6. DiCello – 93.150
7. Sumanasekera – 92.950
8. Fatta – 92.850
Lincoln has fallen to 11th.
Rotation 4
Jones – UB – stalder full, good into stalder shap to tkatchev, solid – toe full, right on – stalder tkatchev piked to pak, good – van leeuwen, very small leg break – toe 1/2 to front giant to double front, hop forward. But a big day again for her.
Roberson – FX – double double lay, ragged knees but hit – DLO 1/1, struggles ont he landing today, bounce back – wolf triple, around – front full to double tuck, chest forward, hop – front loso to double pike, hop –
Carey – VT – MUCH better Cheng. 14.550. Second vault very solid DTY, just small movement and some knees.
And it’s 15.000 for Jones on bars. She nearly goes 58.000 today with her best ever AA performance.
Roberson 13.600 floor, which is an improvement.
Sumanasekera – FX – DLO, bounce back – wolf 2.25 – doubel tuck, good legs together, bounce back – switch ring to split leap full – back 1.5 to front full dance out – switch 1/2, good – double pike, bounce.
Suni vaults a Yfull, clean, small hop.
Matthews – UB – jaeger – stalder tkatchevb to pak, hit – toe full, gets it with good vertical – van eleuwen, small leg break – stalder to toe on – DLO, hop back. Good one.
Disidore – VT – DTY, great height, bounce back and sideward. 14.000
12.950 floor for Sumanasekera.
Biles – FX – DLO 1/1, small bounce back, chest up – front full to double double, nailed the landing – wolf double and a bit – switch to split leap 1.5, gets it aroudn – Biles, no connection, little slide – switch full to straight jump style – DLO, again just a little movement, will be a huge E score.
Fatta – BB – nearly fall on wolf double, large lean forward – fall on loso series.
15.400 for Biles on floor. 8.6 E.
Chiles – FX – back 1.5 through to full in, slide back – DLO, good control on landing – leg up full to split leap 1.5, risking credit on both – wolf double is around – front loso to double tuck, jusssssst keeps it in bounds with a little shuffle – switch side 1/2 – double pike, little hop. Good recovery, though interested to see the D score.
Lincoln – BB – wolf double, good – bhs lay 2 feet, nice – aerial to split to straddle, arm wave, slightly tentative but good positions – switch, wobble, breaks connection into switch 1/2, another kind of large wobble on that one – side aerial, secured with arms – bhs bhs double pike, hop forward. Shakier but hit.
Wong – UB – clear hip 1/2 to jaeger – toe full to bhardwaj, hit – maloney to pak, small leg break on pak – van leeuwen, good – DLO, small slide back. Great competition.
Lew – FX – double pike, nice position, step back – switch 1/2, good – back 1.5 to front full, sideways and a bit under, step to the side and OOB – wolf double – switch ring to split leap full – 2/1, bounce back
14.000 for Wong on bars two days in a row. 55.750 AA.
12.950 beam for Lincoln.
Caylor – FX – double L to full turn, good – FTDT, chest down but only small slide forward – double pike, small hop forward – switch ring to split leap full. good – falls out of double y attempt – back 1.5 to front full steps OOB – wolf double – double tuck, lowish, slide –
DiCello – BB – wolf triple, hit well – split leap full is better, but still under split and a littl eunder rotated – bhs loso loso, lean to the side, brings it back – switch, small pause befroe switch 1/2, short of split – aerial, leg up wobble – split jump sissone – side aerial, large large break but brings it back – leg up and a lean – doubel pike, chest down, lunge forward.
12.750 for DiCello with 7.050 E, but enough to bring her back into a tie with Sumanasekera.
Blakely – BB – wolf triple, nice – back tuck full, hit, small movement – fhs to front tuck, hit, small step – switch to switch 1/2, settles it – aerial to split jump to bhs, good series – side aerial, step back – double pike, lunge back. A pretty good hit, and as long as she’s doing that…
Final:
1. Biles – 118.450
2. Jones – 114.550
3. Wong – 111.100
4. Blakely – 110.750
5. Chiles – 107.750
6. Jong – 106.150
7. Roberson 106.100
8. Sumanasekera – 105.900
8. DiCello – 105.900
10. Disidore – 105.550
Top 10 automatically make national team. I’d imagine we’ll see Lee, Lincoln, Miller, and Carey receive additional invitations to the selection camp, but will there be others?
Oh, and the mascot is named Flip. That’s original.