Live Women's Qualification - Subdivision 5

We're almost home. Just one more subdivision to go. I would not expect Romania to have any trouble placing ahead of China, but it may be too much to expect them to challenge Russia or the US. There has been conflicting information about Iordache's health, but it does appear that she will attempt the AA today. How much difficulty? We wait and see.

Japan needs a 167.332 to advance to Team Finals, which I expect them to get.

Also to watch are the tenuous spots in the Event Finals, such as Afanasyeva's current 6th place on beam. If two Romanians pass her, it would take only one more routine to knock her out of finals.

Here we go!


The PA announcer has asked me to raise the roof as the athletes enter the arena. No, shan't.


Rotation 1 - Romania on floor, Japan on bars:

No Bulimar on floor, which is interesting. Depth, yes, but I prefer her to Chelaru. Top floor score so far is 43.757 from the USA, which Romania can beat.

Phan on vault - World Bronze medalist. She'll start with a DTY. Completely underrotated, landed a bit sideways and put a hand down. Handspring rudi (I think she was attempting layout but I wouldn't give it), very low and major step to the side. Nowhere near the quality from last year.

Teramoto opens with a big 14.566 on bars for Japan.

Ponor on floor - Yes, please. Fantastic DLO. Quad spin was all the way around. Huge mistake on the third pass. Totally bailed and did a tuck full. Are we going to have to start calling her Mattie Ponor? Double pike was solid. No floor finals for her, then? Boo. Still gets a 14.600 with a botched pass. It actually doesn't end up changing the D Score much if there's a backup dance element to count.

Tsurumi on bars - Where is Christine Still to call her an efficient little gymnast when you need it? A few leg breaks and missed handstands. There are things to take, but she has some great qualities as well. 15.033, which knocks Kyla Ross out of finals.

Izbasa on floor - actually, you know, gets her complex dance elements around. Very short on tuck full, but otherwise a strong routine, should be well over Ponor's score. Yes, 15.066. Second best score so far on floor. The commercials are out of control right now. It's like after every half routine.

Iordache on floor - let's see about the injury. Double double is fine and right into the corner. Sticks tuck full. Totally missed her third pass, got no amplitude, didn't complete the twists and fell. So strike what I said about Ponor not making floor finals. She should be there and Iordache will not.

Still, Romania can drop the score and still have the top floor score of the day, 43.999, but that's not enough of an advantage given the bars to come.

Japan records a very strong 44.232 on bars, which is 5th on the day and puts them in great shape.  Tanaka shows multiple shaposh elements with good style, few form breaks, great DLO.

I was just about to say how helpful it is to be given the scores for each country after the completion of one rotation when our commentator said it was "more misleading than helpful." I don't think he gets it.

Rotation 2 - Romania on vault, Japan on beam:

Shintake on beam - very nice form but few creditable connections, which will keep her score low. Major wobble on the loso, but that's really the only thing. Clean and pleasant, like all the Japanese routines.

Ponor on vault - very high DTY with a little bit of usual Ponor legs and a smallish hop forward. 15.133, which is a little Ponor scoring because Mustafina's was better for the same score.

We don't get to see Isbaza's first vault which earned an impressive 15.500. "It's hard to be very autistic in the gymnastics portion." She meant artistic, right? DTY as second vault, very strong. She should easily move into second place for EF.

Iordache finishes with 15.100, so they will score lower than Russia on this event, but clearly third best.

A few minor stumbles for Minobe on beam, but also some graceful, light work. Extremely low double pike. Head near the ground. 14.133.

Teramoto finishes on beam for Japan - dismounts with a triple full. This team seems very fifth place right now, which is great for them.

Now we get to see Isbaza's tremendous Mustafina. Not quite as strong as Maroney's, but very good.

A sleeveless leo from Lithuania is performing on floor. Clean, low difficulty, dismounts with a low double tuck. Van Gerner gets a pretty impressive 14.866 on bars. I didn't expect that. Almost made finals.

Rotation 3 - Romania on bars, Japan on floor:

Romania is going to bars, so it's time to brace ourselves. Japan always has very fine work on floor but gets hit for lack of amplitude in the tumbling, so it will be interesting to see what the judges do with this.

As it stands now, it looks like the AA final cutoff is going to be around 54 flat.

Shintake on floor - Not a ton of difficulty (double full third pass), but no real errors, just some minor landing position issues.

Bulimar on bars - better rhythm and handstands than we see from some of the others. Errors like a dead hang and a little piked in her bail hs - she will be in danger of getting no credit for that. 14.000. They'll take that any day.

Here comes Chelaru - legs are a little insane, straddled gienger. It did look like she got help from the coach, but on replay he probably didn't on the jaeger. Awkward but fine landing on the dismount. Messy routine that should not score that well. 13.733.

Iordache - the good one, some form breaks in the legs, and a missed handstand, orphan 1/2 a la Komova. Good not great, which is better than usual for Romania. Nice that she will be able to do AA finals. 14.100. It's fine, but they can't afford to lose this much ground.

Teramoto on floor - so compact on her tumbling. They're counting a 13.633 already, so they need her to start getting into the 14s. Not much in terms of obvious deductions to take. Should be a solid score but not near the best. 14.233. That sounds about right and makes it nearly impossible for Japan to fail to make TF. They'll be there in solid position with GBR as expected. Canada will be the surprise there.

Going into the final rotation, Romania will need a 45.100 on beam to pass China. Very doable, both the US and Russia exceeded that score.


Rotation 4 - Romania on beam, Japan on vault:

Excited to see Romania on beam. Expect Ponor and Iordache to come back for beam finals, but it could be any of them, really.

Bulimar on beam starts with a very encouraging 14.866 for them. They will gladly take that if necessary. Good double pike dismount with a minor hop.

Izbasa on beam - a little legs in an otherwise nice series. Small wobble on switch half, and dismounts with a 2.5 with a larger lunge forward. This will score well, but I would consider Bulimar for Team Finals, or am I crazy? Waiting on the score. 14.600. Yes, may I interest you in Bulimar?

Iordache on beam - major wobble on on back full but stays on. Some great double turns happening today on beam. Wobble again on walkover. Finishes with well-rotated triple full dismount. Much more around than most are. Just OK as a complete routine, though. Too many wobbles. 14.800.

Japan has finished on vault with a 42.033 to go into 5th place for the moment, which will become sixth after Romania finishes beam.

Because bars was so bad, Romania will move behind China in spite of China's Yao-tastrophe. Interesting.

Ponor on beam - Terrifying switch ring and almost a fall because of it, on other wobble but otherwise confident. Maybe a bit too rushed and aggressive. Big lunge back on double pike. They will need her to be much better at Team Finals. She did not have her best day. 15.033. She has received some fancy creative judging today.

Thus ends our fifth subdivision.

Final Qualification Standings:

TEAM:
1. USA - 181.863
2. Russia - 180.429
3. China - 176.637
4. Romania - 176.264
5. Great Britain - 170.656
6. Japan - 170.196
7. Italy - 168.397
8. Canada - 167.696
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9. Germany - 167.331
10. Australia - 166.721
11. France - 164.796
12. Brazil - 161. 295

All-Around:
1. Komova - 60.632
2. Raisman - 60.391
3. Douglas - 60.265
Wieber - 60.032
4. Mustafina - 59.966
5. Deng - 57.998
6. Ferrari - 57.932
7. Teramoto - 57.865
8. Iordache - 57.800
9. Huang - 57.707
10. Izbasa - 57.532
Grishina - 57.332
11. Lopez - 56.665
12. Seitz - 56.466
13. Tunney - 56.391
14. Gomez Porras - 56.132
15. Whelan - 55.699
16. Pegg - 55.657
17. Van Gerner - 55.632
18. Ferlito - 55.500
Pinches - 55.266
Yao - 54.798
19. Steingruber - 54.715
20. Little - 54.498
21. Malaussena - 54.399
22. Pihan-Kulesza - 54.365
23. Tanaka - 54.333
24. Brennan - 54.232

Vault:
1. Maroney - 15.800
2. Izbasa - 15.316
3. Paseka - 15.049
4. Chusovitina - 14.808
5. Pena Abreu - 14.699
6. Berger - 14.483
7. Rogers - 14.483
8. Black 14.366

Bars:
1. Tweddle - 16.133
2. He - 15.966
3. Komova - 15.833
4. Yao - 15.766
5. Mustafina - 15.700
6. Douglas - 15.333
Huang - 15.266
7. Seitz - 15.166
8. Tsurumi - 15.033

Beam:
1. Sui - 15.400
2. Komova - 15.266
3. Douglas - 15.266
4. Deng - 15.166
5. Raisman - 15.100
Ross - 15.075
6. Afanasyeva - 15.066
7. Ponor - 15.033
Grishina - 14.900
8. Bulimar - 14.866

Floor:
1. Raisman - 15.325
2. Izbasa - 15.066
3. Ferrari - 14.900
4. Afanasyeva - 14.833
5. Mitchell - 14.833
6. Wieber - 14.666
7. Ponor - 14.600
8. Mustafina - 14.433