Team USA’s Simone Biles, Aly Raisman Qualify For All-Around Gymnastics Final In Rio

The U.S. women’s gymnastics team delivered in the all-around final in Rio on Sunday, hitting all 16 routines with ease, making no major mistakes.

Simone Biles, Aly Raisman Qualify For All-Around Gymnastics Final

At the end of their subdivision, they had earned the highest team qualifying score, 185.238, by far. Second-place China sat nearly 10 points behind the U.S. with a score of 175.279. ‘

Three of the U.S. women were eligible by stroke of performing in all four events in qualifications, but only two would be allowed to advance thanks to the two-per-country rule.

Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas finished first, second and third respectively after four of five qualification subdivisions have performed. All three earned 60 points and were at least one point ahead of the fourth-place finisher, although only Biles and Raisman will advance to the all-around final.

Douglas, the 2012 Olympic champion, will not have the chance to defend her title. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old Virginia Beach native didn’t blame the two-per-country rule that kept her from the opportunity to win gold again this year. She regretted not getting her Amanar vault back just a little, nevertheless.

“I feel like the two-per-country rule is fine,” said Douglas. “I’m feeling pretty confident, and I’m rejoicing now. It’s been an amazing experience so far. I would have loved to go back and defend my title, but you know what? It’s been an amazing ride. I can’t complain.”

Biles’ spot in the final was never truly in doubt. She scored 62.366 to win by more than 1.7 points– but Raisman and Douglas were dueling for the second spot. No non-U.S. gymnasts even cracked 59.

Vault proved to be key in determining who would progress to the all-around final on Thursday.

Raisman hit what she said was the best Amanar of her career. The vault, which is a roundoff onto the board followed by a 21/2 twisting layout back flip, is one of the most difficult vault events in modern competition.

Douglas competed that vault in London in 2012, but she hasn’t attempted it in competition in her comeback. Raisman defeated Douglas by .476 in the all-around and held a .600 advantage on vault. The 22-year-old women’s team captain differed from Douglas on her opinion of the two-per-country rule.

“The two-per-country rule is always very heartbreaking. I’ve been on both sides of it,” said Raisman, who was the odd woman out at world championships last year where Douglas won silver behind Biles.

“I think she has a lot to be proud of. She looked amazing.”

In the London 2012 Games, Raisman unexpectedly qualified first the all-around final with Douglas right behind her.  That left the reigning world champion and all-around favorite, Jordyn Wieber, left out of the final she had dreamed of winning for her entire life.

Then Raisman finished fourth in London after losing a tiebreaker for third place to Russia’s Aliya Mustafina. She said this gave her the motivation to return to competition after taking about a year off from training.

U.S. national team coordinator Martha Karolyi is not such a fan of the rule either. The International Federation of Gymnastics instituted the rule after the Romanians initially swept the podium.

“It’s that global, involving everybody, leaving chance for everybody,” said Karoyli. “I feel like when we’re talking about individuals, it should be at least three gymnasts who are going because this way some fairly lower level gymnastics will be even in finals and some girls with high level will sit out and watch.”

For Douglas, team finals–where Team USA can have a bad day and still win gold– await, and she’ll have uneven bar finals later in the week.

Biles is on track to become the first female gymnast to ever win five gold medals in one Olympics.

Raisman will join her in the floor final, Laurie Hernandez in the balance beam final and Douglas and Madison Kocian will compete together in the uneven bars final.

The top eight teams advanced to the final, which will take place on Tuesday:

1. United States of America
2. China
3. Russia
4. Great Britain
5. Brazil
6. Germany
7. Japan
8. Netherlands

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 07: Simone Biles of the United States competes on the balance beam during Women’s qualification for Artistic Gymnastics on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)