Sunisa Lee of the United States waves to her support after winning the gold medal in the women's gymnastics all-around final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Sunisa Lee took the helm for the Team USA, coming out with the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Thursday. The 18-year-old performed her best to keep both Rebecca Andrade of Brazil, who won silver and ROC athlete Angelina Melnikova holding on for the bronze at the Ariake Gymnastics Center.
With Simone Biles withdrawing from another final due to mental health issues, it was Lee, who got the nod and a third highest score in qualifications to take Team USA into action. Following alongside her was Jade Carey, who had the next closest score that brought her into the competition. She and Lee joined the other high scorers together as a group to open the rotation on vault.
Coming through best was Andrade, with a 15.300 beating Carey by a tenth on the apparatus. Both put down the same one and a half twist vault with a 16 point difficulty rating. Lee started first, putting together a Yurchenko double twist but only came through it for 14.600. The group on vault remained as leaders through the first rotation, with Andrade, Cary, and Melnikova edging out lee for third.
They moved to uneven bars with Lee being at her best with a 15.300, where she opened the routine with a huge combination, earning her such a high score. Following close behind was veteran Nina Derwael of Belgium, who scored a 15.266 with an incredible routine that had intense connections and tremendous difficulty. Vladislava Urazova had a solid routing, earning her a 14.866 that was third best in the rotation.
Carey had a light bar routine and was flat for a moment missing a connection along the way. The American was given a 13.500 for her run but knew she would trail the leaders halfway through. Eight tenths of a point separated the top five, with most of them moving onto the balance beam which had not been forgiving on the day. The best score of the apparatus went to Urazova, who scored 14.200 with the next being from Lee with 13.833. Carey fell further down with a fall off the beam, coming through with an 11.533.
With Lee fighting for a place on the podium as the American all by herself, she and the remaining leaders moved to the floor exercise to close out the final. Derwael started the action on floor scoring a 13.433 before the ROC took their shot. Urazova earned a 13.4 but her teammate captured the second highest score overall with 13.966.
Lee was fourth and earned a 13.700, but knew she kept the margin big enough to outduel Melnikova. Andrade came very close to overtaking Lee but came one and a half tenths short of the 18-year-old gold medalist. She kept the silver with less than a tenth between herself and Melnikova, who had the bronze over her teammate Urazova by two tenths.
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