Women's Team Final Predictions
I'm on my way out the door to host a viewing party for the final team showdown of the quadrennium at a theater. Yes, I’m that obsessed with gymnastics. Shut up. Anyway, I wanted to get my predictions down before the competition starts. A lot of people are going to be very confused watching tonight's competition because the media has billed the US team as the favorites for gold. They're not. Not by a long shot. Silver? Yes. It is definitely theirs to lose. The gold? That's China's. China starts the competition with at least a 1.8 lead over the US. Throw in the home team bonus, the questionable US scoring on beam during prelims and you'll see that our girls have some ground to make up. Even if they hit cold they'll need a big mistake or two from China to overtake them.
I’m hoping thinking the bronze goes to Russia. They have the skills and the execution, but inconsistency could get in the way. After the heartbreaking way they lost bronze at last year's Worlds (one of their girls bailed on her vault but touched the table earning them a zero and dropping them from third to last in the final rotation) seeing them take back what should have been theirs from Romania would be very, very sweet.
Enjoy the show tonight! After this Olympics the gymnastics code of points will be shifting to reduce the amount of difficulty an athlete can perform during their routines. Thus, tonight is very likely to be the most difficult team final we’ll ever see. A USA upset would be epic.
I’m hoping thinking the bronze goes to Russia. They have the skills and the execution, but inconsistency could get in the way. After the heartbreaking way they lost bronze at last year's Worlds (one of their girls bailed on her vault but touched the table earning them a zero and dropping them from third to last in the final rotation) seeing them take back what should have been theirs from Romania would be very, very sweet.
Enjoy the show tonight! After this Olympics the gymnastics code of points will be shifting to reduce the amount of difficulty an athlete can perform during their routines. Thus, tonight is very likely to be the most difficult team final we’ll ever see. A USA upset would be epic.