ROC wins gold in Gymnastics team final. USA finishes second.

The Russian Olympic Committee women's gymnastics team celebrate after winning the gold medal in the team final. 

For the first time since 1988, the Russian Olympic Committee took home the gold medal in the women’s gymnastics team final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Mistakes late in the competition from Team USA and a sudden withdraw from Simone Biles snapped their hold of a gold medal-winning streak and finished with the silver medal at the Ariake Gymnastics Center. Taking home the bronze was Great Britain, who last won a team medal back in 1928.

After a short from perfect qualification on day one, the United States found themselves battling with the ROC on every apparatus together. Biles and Lee both had high scores that put them well ahead of any gymnasts on the leading team and hoped that they could beat them as a team of four. The pressure was truly on the lone defending champion of the US as she had the potential of winning as many as six gold medals. 

She and Team USA started the team final on the vault, with Grace McCallum leading off. She had a step out of bounds on her double Yurchenko twist, earning a 14.300. Biles was second up and blasted high into the air, but looked unsure on the landing. She took a huge bounce back, holding herself in between the lines and 13.766 to her name. UCLA alum Jordan Chiles went last, besting her team leader with a 14.666. The US totaled 42.732 and the ROC in the lead with 43.799. France finished in third (41.399), with China trailing them by three tenths.

The second rotation moved Team USA and the ROC on uneven bars with McCallum going first. She did a really nice job with a small foot hitting the lower bar in her routine. The judges went heavy on the deduction, giving McCallum a 13.700. A huge shock came when Biles pulled out of the competition for an undisclosed reason. Vladislava Urazova bested the American, with a 14.866. She set the bar high for her team, who all were strong on the apparatus. 

With half the competition complete, the ROC was ahead of the United States by two and a half points despite Lee scoring a 15.400 which was the competition's highest score. Italy took over third position (83.031) and China behind by .366. 

Simone Biles gets a hug from her coach after withdrawing from the competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

The news came out that Biles was suffering from a mental health situation and remained on the floor cheering for her team. They moved into the third rotation on the balance beam with the ROC leading off. Urazova went into her first tumbling pass and had a fall at the end of it. Though she finished it with a minor balance check, it was a major break for her team, who opened the door for the Americans. 

McCallum had a solid routine, prevented any mistakes, and came through with a 13.666. Angelina Melnikova also fell for the ROC that allowed the US to cut the gap further. Doing so was Lee, who had a balance check but came through it with a 14.133 that put them in the lead by a tenth. Listunova saved her team with a clean bar routine that put the pressure on Chiles to finish it for the US. With a 14.333 mark to beat, the American fell just short with a 13.433 that finished them in second by eight tenths with the floor routine left to compete. Italy was in third with Japan two points behind them.

McCallum needed to be virtually perfect, but a step out of bounds made a difference in scoring. She earned a 13.5 while Urazova finished lower with a 13.366. Chiles had a chance to cut further but had a step out of bounds during her first pass and a slip later on. It was the moment that nearly sealed the deal for the ROC to take the gold as Chiles got an 11.7. While Lee had a good floor routine, the Russians remained firm on the floor and clinched the win with Melnikova's score of 13.966. 

They finished with a final score of 169.528 and the United States with 166.096. Finishing with the bronze medal was Great Britain, who narrowly edged Italy and Japan with a score of 164.096.