Nina Derwael made history for Belgium, winning the uneven bars in the first of three days of apparatus finals competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Her gold is the first of any colour for a Belgian woman in the sport at the Olympic Games.
Second up in the final, Derwael delivered a 15.200, well clear of ROC’s Anastasia Iliankova’s 14.833. Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee of the United States was the bronze medallist with a 14.500.
Derwael came into Tokyo as the two-time defending world champion on the apparatus. Many expected a battle between Derwael and Lee, who qualified 1-2 into the final. But Lee, who competed first in the final, was off kilter on her opening release move and broke a connection. That cost her valuable tenths on her difficulty score. Derwael held her nerve, despite topping out a handstand toward the end of the routine.
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JP2021.COM - Tokyo Olympics 2020.