Just finished watching the AA competition and wanted to share some impressions. To make this clear beforehand: I know as much about gymnastics as a very casual, every-four-years-fan would. So, not a lot.
Anyway: My problem with gymnastics for the last couple times I‘ve seen it has been similar to what‘s happening to figure skating right now. Jaw dropping technical achievements but very little else going on. It was especially obvious during floor exercise - sometimes I was wondering why they‘d even bothered to play music when it was so clearly ignored. So, yeah, I didn‘t exactly expect much going into these Olympics.
BUT: I honestly enjoyed the competition - more than I thought I would. In part, of course, because the two Russians who were competing in the AA perfectly encapsulated what I love about this sport. Melnikova and Urazova (especially the latter, gutted she didn‘t medal!) quickly became my favorites. There‘s just something about being able to complete these very difficult and very dangerous elements and make it look elegant, that I really admire.
To structure this rambling mess of a post - some thoughts in the order of their final standings:
Sunisa Lee: She was easily and without question my favorite of Team USA during the Team Final and I was happy to find out she‘d made the AA final. Her consistency and mental strength was just so impressive to watch and she seems like such a sweetheart to boot. I do think she‘s the most elegant of the US ladies but overall, their entire package is just not my cup of tea and hasn’t been for a while. I think they‘ve mainly been favoring power and difficulty, whereas the Russian style is a bit more balanced. But I’m still happy for her! After all, I don‘t really understand the fine mechanics of the sport and judging solely by subjective taste might not be the best idea lol.
Andrade: Since I didn‘t watch qualifiers, I didn‘t see her before. Honestly, she didn‘t really stand out to me in terms of either artistry or technical prowess but the German commentators talked about her rupturing her cruciate (I think?) three (!!) times over the past few years. And always in the same knee. So, when you hear something like that, you cannot help but root for this person. Also, she made history for her country, which is always nice. I did like her floor routine the most, ironically, despite the mistakes. She was one of the few who actually engaged with the music.
Melnikova: The commentators said she won a prize for most elegant gymnast a few years ago and you can easily see why! After Lee and Andrade both made mistakes, I really thought she‘d win the Gold. Alas, it wasn‘t meant to be. But Bronze is still a great achievement and she does have the OGM from the team event. I do still hope she‘ll pick up a medal or two from the event finals, though, she‘s qualified to a lot of them.
Urazova: I saw her do her floor routine during the team final and she instantly became my favorite. I actually have no particular idea why, I think there‘s just something about her long lines and elegance - it‘s so fascinating to see her move like a dancer in one moment and then tumble and fly through the air in the next. I was disappointed she didn‘t win a medal and she was so close! Fourth is just always bitter. But she‘s young still and maybe she can make a second Olympics? Anyway, I‘ll be rooting for her during her event final.
Derwael was another favorite. Although it was quite obvious (even to me) that her difficulty on the floor wasn‘t the highest, her routine was still great to watch - probably because she‘s so tall. And insane Uneven Bars, of course! By far the most impressive visually for me.
I did like Carey a lot, although she fell from the beam. Probably a stupid question that could be solved by reading the rest of the thread but why wasn‘t she in the team final? Overall, she looked more impressive across all events but one than Jordan Chiles. I guess she didn‘t perform well at the Nationals/Olympic trial?
To close this post: Happy for the medalists and I really loved watching this competition. Maybe this will become a sport I‘ll follow even outside of the Olympics? Let‘s see.
PS: This would probably deserve its own post but: I hope Simone feels better soon and good for her for making the best decision for herself. Very brave.
