Two years ago, Great Britain entered the Tokyo Olympics as a significant underdog with minimal expectations. In addition to being a young and unproven bunch, they also had to disregard a lot of criticism on the team’s makeup due to Becky Downie’s exclusion. The team final was wild and unforgettable, but they maintained their composure and won a surprising bronze.
The revelation has remained the British team. Gymnasts can sometimes find it difficult to repeat such prestigious victories, but a year and a half later, they took home their first global team silver medal in Liverpool. They won the European championship for the first time this year, and their second-place finish in qualifying here demonstrated that they have not slowed down.
England will be amongst the favorites to win an additional medal on Wednesday, trailing only the mighty USA, who outscored Britain by in excess of five points in qualifying with a score of 171.395.
Simone Biles is taking another step toward being the most awarded gymnast in history as Britain aims to maintain its position at the top.
Should the USA place first, Biles, who has 32 medals from the Olympics and global championships, will pass Vitaly Scherbo in the medal count.
Alice Kinsella, the team’s oldest player at 22 years old, and Jessica Gadirova, whose keeps solidifying her position as one of the greatest in the world, have been the backbone of Britain’s success.
But throughout the previous three seasons, a number of individuals have contributed, demonstrating the depth of the close-knit group. Ruby Evans, Georgia-Mae Fenton, and Ondine Achampong will be essential to any triumph on Wednesday night.
The rivalry is only escalating in difficulty. China, formerly among the top nations in women’s gymnastics, has slipped in recent years, but they made great progress this week, placing second to Great Britain by half a point. Brazil finished second in qualifying, 1.5 points behind China, thanks to the brilliance of last year’s all-around champion Rebeca Andrade and a strong supporting cast. Despite a poor qualifying performance, Italy has the ability to challenge for medals.
However, everything in the final is different. On each apparatus, four gymnasts participate in qualifying, with the top three scores counting. Three gymnastics participate on each apparatus during the team final, and the results from all three count. No room for error exists. The British team has demonstrated that they can not only withstand the pressure of this format but also thrive in it. Italy, Brazil, and China will make efforts to catch up.