ROC wins women’s team gold medal, ending Team USA’s decade long reign. They posted a total of 169.528, while the U.S. came up short, earning 166.096. Great Britain took the bronze (164.096). It was the first time that the U.S. women have lost a world or Olympic team title since 2010.
ROC lead the standings by more than two points after vault and uneven bars. But things got tense after their first two competitors on the balance beam, Vladislava Urazova and Angelina Melnikova, fell off on their acro series and failed to break 13.000. 2021 European all-around champion Viktoria Listunova salvaged the rotation with a 14.333, giving ROC a .800 buffer heading to the final event.
By the time ROC floor anchor Melnikova saluted, she need just 10.534 to secure the gold.,she delivered an 13.966.
The 2019 world all-around bronze medallist was in tears before she even got off the mat, running to embrace her teammates. Moments later, the tears flowed as confirmation of ROC’s gold flashed on the scoreboard.
“After I landed the last tumbling pass, I understood that we did it,” said Melnikova afterward through translation. “I never experienced anything like this in my life, because I knew immediately that we did it, that it was possible for us.”
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