Just Falling Short
Day 12: What's Happening in Gymnastics?
If you’ve been thinking that it seems like a lot of Gymnastics athletes are falling, you’re not alone.
Whether it was the 5 out of 8 Men falling off the Horizontal Bar Final, or half the Women losing their Balance Beam Final, something was up. (Maybe it was the Brady Curse.)
After the Final, Team USA’s Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee blamed the “weird” and “awkward” atmosphere, but watching the competition one couldn’t help but wonder if something was wrong with the beam. It wouldn’t be the first time a faulty apparatus cost an Olympic favorite the Gold.
In the middle of the Women’s All-Around Final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 16-year-old Australian gymnast Allana Slater realized the vault had been set too low, resulting in many competitors inexplicably falling. Eighteen women, including the Gold Medal favorite had already vaulted at the wrong height, and though they were given the option of a re-do, the damage was already done. The debacle was ultimately a result of outdated paperwork, but it remains a black-eye on the sport.
Following the Sydney Games, the event switched from the horse to a vaulting table, revolutionizing the sport and spawning new forms of vaulting. Today’s beam mishaps are unlikely to lead to such dramatic change, but we will definitely be listening for some background music in L.A.
What To Watch Today
(All times Eastern. Full event replays available on-demand on Peacock)
A generally slower day on the final Tuesday in Paris, but it is the beginning of very entertaining Canoe Sprint races, an American in the first Wrestling Final, and your last chance to see the horsies.
4:00 am - Equestrian: Jumping Individual Final 🇺🇸🥇
4:00 am - Table Tennis: Women’s Team Round of 16, USA vs Germany 🇺🇸
4:00 am - Climbing: Women’s Boulder & Lead, Semifinal Boulder 🇺🇸
4:05 am - Athletics: Women's 1500m Round 1, Men's Javelin Qualis, Women's Long Jump Qualis 🇺🇸
7:35 am - Climbing: Men’s Speed, Qualification heats 🇺🇸
8:43 am - Sailing: Women's Dinghy Medal Race 🇺🇸🥇
9:00 am - Diving: Women's 10m Platform Final🥇
9:43 am - Sailing: Men's Dinghy Medal Race🥇
11:00 am - Volleyball: Women’s Quarter-Finals, USA vs Poland 🇺🇸
11:30 am: Skateboarding: Women's Park Final 🇺🇸🥇
12:00 pm - Soccer: Women’s Semi-Final, USA vs Germany 🇺🇸
1:30 pm - Artistic Swimming: Team Free Routine 🇺🇸
1:30 pm - Wrestling: Men's Greco-Roman 60kg and 130kg Medal Matches, Women's Freestyle 68kg Medal Matches 🇺🇸🥇🥇🥇
1:35 pm - Athletics: Men's 400m Semi-Final, Women's 400m Hurdles Semi-Final, Women's Hammer Throw Final, Men's Long Jump Final, Men's 1500m Final, Women's 3000m Steeplechase Final, Women's 200m Final 🇺🇸🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇
1:55 pm - Track Cycling: Men's Team Sprint Medal Races 🇺🇸🥇
2:35 pm - Water Polo: Women’s Quarter-Finals, USA vs Hungary 🇺🇸
3:30 pm - Basketball: Men’s Quarter-Final, USA vs Brazil 🇺🇸
3:30 pm - Boxing: Men's 71kg - Semifinals, USA vs Uzbekistan 🇺🇸
4:00 pm - Beach Volleyball: Women's Quarterfinal, USA vs Switzerland 🇺🇸
5:06 pm - Boxing: Women’s 60kg Finals🥇
In Other Olympic News…
Surfing FINALLY ended, and America won a Gold.
Maybe swimming in the Seine wasn’t such a good idea after all?
The greatest pole vaulter ever paid homage to everyone’s favorite shooter.
Sister vs sister in the wild sport of Kayak Cross.
Photo of the Day
