Following a strong showing at the Olympic qualifiers on Sunday, the U.S. women's gymnastics team has their sights set on a fourth gold medal, hoping to continue a streak at the podium that's lasted since 1992. They are considered heavy favorites to win Tuesday's team final with Russia athletes not competing as a team in the Paris Games. The gymnasts also have redemption on their minds after the Tokyo Games, when they took home silver and watched Russia bring home the gold.
The women's gymnastics team easily qualified for the team final with a score of 172.296. Simone Biles put on a clinic with a first-place finish of 59.566, exceeding expectations despite being bothered by a calf injury she sustained in warmups. Suni Lee (56.132) and Jordan Chiles (56.065) also finished near the top of the leaderboard in second and third, respectively.
While Biles and Chiles are known for their all-around excellence, the women's team also has members who specialize in certain events. That's the case with Jade Carey on vault and floor exercise, Hezly Rivera on balance beam and uneven bars and Suni Lee on uneven bars. At Sunday's qualifiers, Carey finished third on vault with a 14.433, while Chiles was not far behind, scoring a 14.216. Lee's 14.866 on uneven bars was good for third on her main event, while Rivera fought off nerves for a solid balance beam routine and finished in the top-20 on uneven bars. Having great performances on specialty events is key, as it could be the difference between making and missing the podium.
Even though team USA is a strong favorite to win, anything can happen in team finals, and the U.S. must be ready to out-perform their challengers. Italy and China finished five points behind team USA in the qualifiers. China previously medaled alongside the U.S. in 2016 and 2008, taking bronze and gold, respectively. The Italian women's gymnastics team, which boasts three European Championships, is seeking its first Olympic gold and hopes to medal in the event for the first time since 1928. It's clear the U.S. has plenty of challengers for the coveted top spot, but they also clearly have the talent to take care of business.
The women's gymnastics team final begins Tuesday, at 12:15 p.m. ET on NBC.