91 women from 53 countries competed on the balance beam in last week’s qualifying. The top eight (with a limit of two per country) advance to today’s final. Larisa Iordache, the Romanian star who qualified in fourth place but was suffering an ankle injury, withdrew from the final. Japan’s first reserve Urara Ashikawa will replace him.
Here is the final start list:
1 Ellie Black (can)
• qualifying score 14.100 (sixth)
Ranked 44th in 2016 OG, 26th in 2012. Ranked 10th in 2019 WCH, 5th in 2018, 8th in 2017, 7th in 2015 and 2014. Gold in 2014 Commonwealth Games. Gold in 2015 PANAM Games, Silver in 2019. Among other events – 12th in the vault in the 2020 OG, 54th in the uneven bar, 30th in the individual all-around and 10th in the team. She said that she has no plans for retirement. ‘I always say age is just a number.’
2 Tang Zhijing (CHN)
• qualifying score 14.333 (Second)
Ranked 83rd in the 2019 WCH. Gold in 2018 Youth OG. Among other events – 7th in individual all-around and team in 2020 OG, 13th in uneven bars, 20th in floor. Silver in individual all-around at the 2019 WCh, 4th in the team, 11th in the uneven bars. Bronze in the uneven bars at the 2018 Yoga. Her older brother began training in gymnastics and was discovered by a coach when she went to a session with her brother.
3 Simone Biles (USA)
• qualifying score 14.066 (7th)
Bronze in the 2016 OG. Gold in 2019, 2015, 2014 WCh, Bronze in 2018, 2013. Among other events – Silver in the team in the 2020 OG, 9th in the vault, 11th in the floor, 11th in the uneven bars, 25th in the all-around. Gold in the floor, around in the vault, team, 2016 OG. Floor, vault, team, gold all around at the 2019 WCh. set the record for most medals [25] and most gold medals [19] WCh won by artistic gymnasts of any gender.
4 Sunisa Lee (USA)
• qualifying score 14.200 (3)
Ranked 12th in the 2019 WCh. In other events – Gold in the Individual Gold in the 2020 OG, Silver in the Team event, Bronze in the uneven bars. Gold in team, silver in floor, bronze in uneven bars at the 2019 WCh. In August 2019, she won uneven bars at the national championships and dedicated the victory to her father John, who had recently become paralyzed from the chest after falling from a ladder.
5 Urara Ashikawa (JPN)
• qualifying score 13.900 (12th)
In the 2019/2020 WCup season, won in Baku, Melbourne and Ternier der Meister. In other events – DNS in the uneven bars and floor exercise in the 2020 OG, DNF in the individual all-around. She took gymnastics seriously in grade two of elementary school at Mizutori Gym in Japan.
5 Larisa Ayrdache (ROU)
• qualifying score
14.133 (fourth)
In 2012 OG finished sixth. Ranked 23rd in 2015 WCH, 5th in 2014, 7th in 2013. Gold in the 2020 and 2013 European Championships, silver in 2014 and 2012. Among other events – Bronze in the team event at the 2012 OG. Individual bronze in the 2015 WCh, silver in 2014. She returned to competitive action in late 2020 after tearing her Achilles tendon in 2017. ‘It was hard to be destroyed for so long but now I’m fine.’
6 Vladislava Urazova (ROC)
• qualifying score 14.000 (8th)
Ranked 11th on the 2021 European Ch. Finished fourth in the 2019 Junior WCH. Ranked 16th in the 2018 Junior European Ch. Among other events – Gold in team event in 2020 OG, 4th in individual all-around, 9th in uneven bars, 10th in floor. Silver in the uneven bars at the 2021 European Ch. Gold in the uneven bars and team at the 2019 Junior WCH. Played at the age of four. ‘Create a dream and it will make you.’
7 Flavia Saraiva (BRA)
• qualifying score 13.966 (9th)
Ranked 5th in 2016 OG. Ranked 6th in 2019 WCh, 17th in 2018. Silver at the 2018 PanAm Ch. In other events – dns in the uneven bars on the 2020 OG, dnf around in person. Bronze all-around, team and individual at the 2019 PANAM Games. She grew by more than eight centimeters after the 2016 Olympics. ‘I can swing better now and make some changes that I had problems with earlier.’
8 Guan Chenchen (CHN)
• qualifying score 14.933 (First)
First time Olympian. Ranked 31st in the 2019 Junior WCH. Among other events – Silver in Team Event at 2019 Junior WCH, 6th in Vault, 13th in Uneven Bar and 14th in Floor Exercise. She was an active girl at an early age and tried many sports. A family member recommended that her parents introduce her to gymnastics. His sports idol is American gymnast Simone Biles.
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