Belinda Bencic handles Arantxa Rus in straight sets at US Open

 

Belinda Bencic was in fine form during her opening round match at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic handled her opening round match at the US Open very well on Tuesday. The 11^th seed always handled her end of the court, giving little to left-hander Arantxa Rus, who went down in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. 

The two met three years ago in Luxembourg where the Swiss star took care of Rus, allowing her just three games in a straight-sets result. The reigning Olympic champion took a week off before going into Cincinnati, where she made it to the last eight before bowing out. With another week of rest to prepare for the final slam, the 24-year-old had her eyes looking into the second round having a successful experience against her Dutch opponent. 

The 11th seed opened her sixth appearance in the tournament with a break of Rus before backing it up with a hold in the second. Rus got on the board but still sat two games down of Bencic, whose offense was in check. The Dutch star got within reach in the fifth, but then trailed the Swiss after she continued to hold from her end of the court. The service holds continued and by the ninth, Rus managed to get back within a game. The Olympic gold medalist responded with a 40-0 opener in the tenth before taking the set in 39 minutes, allowing Rus a point in the final game. 

Both had a double fault but it was the 11^th seed who won 93 percent of points from the first serve. Playing well at the net and carrying a strong second serve gave her the edge needed to be in a great spot going into the second stanza. This time it was Rus opening service and locked in the victory to start things off. Bencic responded with four unanswered serves that leveled the score and made the statement that she was well in control. 

They held the next two games, but when Bencic played for the fifth, she upped the ante to break Rus and back it up for a 4-2 lead. With the leverage in hand, the 11^th seed worked hard to get the break but Rus brought together terrific defense in the business end of the set. With deuce in play, the Dutch player fought to deny her opponent a chance for the AD point on one occasion through the four breaks in total. On her third AD point attempt, Rus shut down the chance for Bencic to get a double break and sat a game down after seven. 

The near eight-minute fight from the previous game didn’t take much away from the 11^th seed as she flew through her service to score a shutout and play for the match on Rus’s service. The 30-year-old denied her opponent that chance and sat a game down, hoping to extend the set further. The 11^th seed wouldn’t let her get that far and was set up with an error that brought up match point. The 24-year-old delivered an unreturnable serve that moved her into the second round after an hour and a half on court. 

“She makes it really hard to play against her with the typical lefty game,” Bencic said of the toughness Rus brings to the court each time. “I’ve played a lot of left-handed players the last couple of matches so I was a little prepared.” She’ll prepare for her next match when she takes on Martina Trevisan in the second round on Thursday. 

Elina Svitolina ravages Rebecca Marino in straight sets at US Open

Elina Svitolina in action during her first-round match with Rebecca Marino of Canada at the US Open. 

Elina Svitolina cruised to victory in her opening round match at the US Open Monday. The fifth seed handled her first meeting against Rebecca Marino in a 6-2, 6-3 win on Court 17 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. Svitolina’s well-rounded game was too much for the Canadian who had double-digit winners but too many errors to make her offense effective. 

The Canadian returned to New York for her third appearance and first in a decade, in hopes of making it her best run ever. Standing in her way was the Olympic bronze medalist, who didn’t fare well in Montreal and Cincinnati, but looked to best her semifinal finish from two years ago. Fatigue and just one day of rest since winning the Chicago tournament put a question mark on the Ukrainian’s readiness for a long journey. The 26-year-old, who showed some aches last Saturday would be expected to best the 30-year-old or experience another shocking opening round match. 

Svitolina opened the match playing through the first five points when Marino edged her way for a breakpoint. The fifth seed saved that and two more before she held serve after three breaks. The Canadian leveled with a better output than her opponent and held for the second time in the fourth. Svitolina made it three in a row from her end and broke Marino in the sixth for the lead. She went on from her statement on the court to take the next two games swiftly, ending the set in 30 minutes. 

The Ukrainian didn’t bring a lot of heat to her early victory on the Canadian, whose game damaged itself with 13 unforced errors and a 52 percent first serve, and just 29 percent won from the second serve. She continued to feel the heat when Svitolina scored a serve to love in the opening game. Marino got on the board in the third game but it was the fifth seed who remained in control of the score making it 3-1. 

The forehand of the Ukrainian gave her a 4-1 stance with just two games between herself and the second round. Marino gained a second victory before Svitolina made it 5-2 with her shot to win in on the Canadian’s service. The 30-year-old nearly had a serve to love in place, until the fifth seed got into the eighth. Despite not getting the shot to break, she opened the door to serve out the match herself. Showing tremendous ease, Svitolina closed out Marino, who couldn’t get the ball over on a return in one hour and three minutes. 

 

Victoria Azarenka blasts away Tereza Martincova in straight sets at US Open

Victoria Azarenka came out blazing midway through her opening round match at the US Open. 

Victoria Azarenka came through a tight first set to dominate at the US Open Monday. The Belorussian finished strong at the tail end of the opening set and won nine straight games against Tereza Martincova to win 6-4, 6-0 on Grandstand Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. 

The 2020 finalist returned for her 14^th appearance at the Open with a new player in her midst. The 26-year-old Czech was in for her third attempt to get out of the first round but managed to find the Belorussian standing in her way. Martincova won two matches at Montreal and Chicago that proved to be good preparation before the final calendar slam. With the odds stacked well against her, Martincova would need her game to be at 100 percent to topple the three-time finalist. 

She gained a two-game lead with her side of the court faring well and Azarenka’s rusty. The Belorussian went down swinging with the break to love going to the Czech. When it was her turn to serve, Martincova didn’t let up in her work to make it 3-0 against the former world number one. Azarenka got on the board with an ace to finish her strong service game in the fourth. The Czech answered back with a win on serve, putting her three-game lead back in place. 

The 32-year-old built upon her lone win and added a second on serve to cut into Martincova’s lead. She added a break of the Czech that put her on the right track to get her out front. The next two wins went the way of Azarenka that gave her the shot to swipe the set away from the 26-year-old. She reached a set point on an error from Martincova, who managed to force deuce on a forehand error from the Belorussian. A backhand error from the Czech brought up the AD point set point that clinched the victory for Azarenka ending the first in 37 minutes. 

The 18^th seed won 71 percent from her first serve and seven of eight points won near the net. Despite having the two double faults, the 32-year-old finished strong to take her momentum into the second set. It was there that she broke Martincova to open the second and followed it up with a hold of serve. Azarenka added another for good measure making it six consecutive wins in the match. 

The momentum did not falter for the 18^th seed as she cruised through to add the triple break of Martincova to her accomplishment. Azarenka served for the match but had to get to deuce to keep her hope of a shutout alive. With a match point attempt, the ball went long of the baseline on the second break. Her second attempt fared better as a slice shot from Martincova went into the net that put her singles run to rest in one hour and nine minutes. 

With such a dominant stride that Azarenka carried with her through the remainder of the match, it gave her a boost to prepare for the second round. The winner between Jasmine Paolini and Yaroslava Shvedova would be her next opponent on Wednesday. 

Garbine Muguruza knocks out Donna Vekic in thrilling first round of US Open

Garbine Muguruza watched every ball played during her opening match with Donna Vekic at the US Open.

Garbine Muguruza had everything thrown at her but came through it at the US Open Monday. The Spaniard overcame serious adversity from Donna Vekic, who pressed back-to-back tiebreak sets but came up short 7-6(4), 7-6(5) on Louis Armstrong Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center.

The two met three years ago in a second meeting that proved once again competitive. Muguruza bested the Croatian on the clay courts of Madrid in three sets, blasting away strong in the final set. Vekic held a win on hard courts against the former world number one, but in their second battle on the surface coming seven years later, the Spaniard had a bigger advantage to how well she could take care of business. Though Montreal and Cincinnati didn’t go well for either player, the final slam of the year proved important to each one and would guarantee another fight for control and a spot in round two.

Both hit the ball hard through the opening game, with Muguruza pressing the action against Vekic, who came through to hold serve. The ninth seed had a save a couple of breakpoints on serve before coming out of the second with a win. The two played five games on serve, until Vekic made a move with her forehand that scored her the break on Muguruza. Sitting a break down, the Spaniard watched the Croatian err twice and commit the first double fault of the match. A bad return fell wide of the court that sealed the deal for the ninth seed, putting her back on serve. 

Muguruza had to fight tough after committing her 11^th error against Vekic. The two went to deuce, where a high amount of effort from the Spaniard leveled her back in the eighth to play on into the business end of the set. The ninth seed attempted to get her chance at breaking the Croatian in the ninth when she forced deuce. Despite the troubles she had to fight off, Vekic held serve after four breaks and seven minutes played.

Muguruza knew that she had to hold serve in the tenth and prevent her opponent from threatening. Vekic answered with her first shutout of the Spaniard, putting her opponent in a spot to hold or go a set down. The 27-year-old succeeded in forcing a first set tiebreak with Vekic, which made it their third overall and an important moment for each. Aggression was a huge feat for Muguruza, who used it well in her offense to edge away from Vekic, gaining a set point at 6-4 and close out the first in 1 hour and 13 minutes. Both had high first serve percentages, numerous winners, and close on unforced errors but with the Spaniard gaining the leverage, she hoped to build it into a stronger output in the second. 

The ninth seed etched out the first with a strong offense that kept Vekic under pressure. She took a break from the Croatian, playing every point using her height to her advantage on returns. Muguruza went up 3-0, with Vekic needing to get on the board by any means. The Croatian held serve to get into the set, but Muguruza was on top of her game when the balls returned to her hands. She took a commanding 4-1 lead on Vekic, putting herself closer to the second round. 

The 25-year-old gained a second win on serve, but breaking Muguruza at her current level was out of the question. The Spaniard proved that with some help from the Croatian, who erred on points earned a shutout and a 5-2 stance to play for the match. A break chance didn’t come for her, but after a quick victory from Vekic, the Spaniard got right to work. 

She faced some adversity in the ninth when a net-front shot went awry forcing her to bring up deuce. Vekic managed to earn an AD point and was thrilled when Muguruza’s return went long of the baseline to clinch her first break of the set and sit a game down. The momentum turned around and clenched onto Vekic, who served up three impressive points before winning the game on a long Muguruza return. 

With the score at five-all, Muguruza put the pressure right back on Vekic, who she didn’t want coming through her service in the 12^th. Despite a fourth double fault, the 25-year old allowed Muguruza just one point before forcing a second tiebreak. The two traded off the first six points before a short-angled return winner gave Muguruza the lead. She gained another one before Vekic scored a minibreak to stay in reach. 

The ninth seed broke back to earn match point but blew it on a shot into the net. Her second and last came to a conclusion in a 12-shot rally that ended with a smash crosscourt that gave her a full effort victory in 2 hours and 18 minutes. 

“I’m proud of my fighting spirit,” said Muguruza after her match. “I had a very tough first round and it was a battle. We have always had difficult matches and it’s the first round of the US Open and a very special tournament and very excited to be back.”  With one hard match down, she’ll prepare for another one against the winner between Andrea Petkovic or Irina Camelia Begu.  

Brazil repeats as Olympic champions in men's soccer. Spain gets silver, Mexico bronze

Brazil completed the repeat in men’s soccer at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Saturday night. With a new team leading the way, they managed to go 120 minutes with Spain and come through with a 2-1 win in the gold medal final at International Stadium Yokohama. Spain worked hard to earn the silver medal and Mexico holding on for bronze in their medal match against the host country Japan. 

Brazil’s dominance in group D included wins over Germany and Saudi Arabia and a draw against Ivory Coast. The win over Egypt in the quarterfinals sent them into a clash with Mexico that was a draw for more than 90 minutes. It took penalty kicks to show off their strength that put them in against the Spanish. They managed to draw with the Egyptians and Argentina in Group C before their 5-2 beating of the Ivory Coast. A major statement against the host nation that they beat 1-0 in extra time, left them with a true shot at challenging the Brazilians. 

While Brazil didn’t have Neymar Jr to help them like they did five years ago to win gold, they had Dani Alves, who is the most decorated soccer player in history. Two players from Real Madrid including Dani Ceballos, who went out with an ankle injury were expected to play in the gold medal match. 

Brazil took their first strike chance in the seventh minute, only to be stopped in the hands of Unai Simon for Spain. His team slowly pressed the other way into the Brazilian end of the pitch. In the 16^th minute, they nearly had a loose ball heading to the net. Santos missed his opportunity to make the stop, leaving Diego Carlos to make the desperate save for Brazil.

In the 24^th, Brazil went for their second shot attempt with Guilherme Arana setting up his teammate Richarlison nearing the net. His shot flew fast and straight but making its mark on the outside of the net. Brazil possessed the ball far too long for the Spanish, who took control and moved into the offensive zone. It was there that Brazil received their second yellow card and watched their goalkeeper making a huge save in the 32^nd minute. 

Spain committed a foul that gave Brazil a shot from far back, but their kick attempt was headered away by Mikel Merino. Officials checked to see if there was a chance for a penalty with Simon running into Matheus Cunha. A penalty kick was awarded to Brazil and put into the hands of Richarlison. His attempt was hesitated and flew over the net that kept the score nil through 39 minutes. 

Two minutes of extra time was added to the opening half and Brazil was all over the ball in their attempts to score before halftime. Before the whistle, Cunha was responsible for angling his body just right, to fire the ball straight into the side of the net in the 47^th minute. It was the fifth shot taken by the Brazilians, who controlled the ball 45 percent of the time and had almost as many fouls as their competitors. 

When the second half got underway, it was Brazil pushing fast into the Spanish zone where their attempt ended in the hands of Simon, who didn’t want the deficit to increase. He dealt with three total shots in the first five minutes, while his team struggled to break through the Brazilian defense at the other end. Brazil almost had one on the feet of Richarlison, who shot the ball off the post but remained loose. It took Simon and another of his teammates to clear the ball away. Atony took a chance and had his shot blocked, making it five for Simon, who was well under pressure. 

The next eight minutes saw Spain slow down the pace and get control of ball possession. Though two of their chances were stopped, it was in the 61^st minute that the Spaniards made their moment count. Carlos Soler delivered a big kick near the net that got right to Mikel Oyarzabal for his kick that tied the game. 

A foul from Spain two minutes later turned the tide of control back to Brazil, who notched another shot that was saved by Simon. The next 12 minutes saw Brazil committed several fouls and Cunha receiving the team’s third yellow card. Both teams fought to score the game-winner as time began to become precious. Both teams got very close at times with the ball hitting the crossbar twice for Spain and Simon continuing to keep his agenda. 

Malcom of Brazil scores the game-winning goal to give Brazil the gold medal during the final with Spain at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Three minutes were added after 90 minutes but neither Spain nor Brazil gave an inch of a chance to end the game. They went into the first half of extra time and saw no change in the score despite each of them getting shots to the net. The second set of 15 minutes went into play and just four minutes in, a big kick to Malcom set him up for a breakaway that put him one on one with Simon before scoring the leading goal in the 108^th minute. 

Spain had just 11 minutes to tie the game back or leave Tokyo with a silver medal. Brazil played defense while hunting for a third that would secure the gold medal. While they didn’t make it a 3-1 score, Brazil completed 120 minutes, kept Spain from threatening a penalty shootout, and let the whistle blow that gave them back to back gold medals in men’s Olympic soccer

Kate French wins gold in women's Modern Pentathlon

Olympic gold medalist in the women's modern pentathlon: Kate French of Great Britain. 

For the first time since the 2000 Sydney games, Great Britain had a champion in the women’s pentathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Friday night. Kate French came through strong in the laser run to overtake the leaders from the equestrian and win the gold medal at Tokyo Stadium. Laura Asadausakaite won the silver, and Sarolta Kovacs of Hungary, who set an Olympic Record in swimming took bronze. 

Sarolta Kovacs in the pool, who set an Olympic record in the modern pentathlon competition. 

The women opened day two with swimming 200 meters in six heats of six swimmers, which determined new leaders after the first event. With the fastest times earning the most points, Gulnaz Gubaydullina from the ROC broke the Olympic record that was set with a 2:07.31. She took the lead with 296 points, with Michelle Gulyas alongside her for first place. World record holder Elodie Clouvel of France finished with a 2:07.51 earning her 295 points. Annika Schleu of Germany didn’t have the best swim. ending back in 15^th. 

The pentathletes moved into the bonus round of fencing with an opportunity to gain extra points before the third event. The 36^th ranked pentathlete would face the 35^th ranked pentathlete to advance and face the next higher-ranked fencer until the number one-ranked pentathlete competed. When it came down to the last two fencers, it was Schleu and Sehee Kim of South Korea left to go. The Korean took the win and remained the last competitor standing.

They went into the equestrian show jumping, with Lithuania going first and second scoring 300 points. Kim earned 285 points having 14 obstacle penalties but no time penalty. Coming with the victory that put her out front was Uliana Batashova from the ROC, who scored 293 points and accumulated 820 for the sole lead. In second was Kim with 810 and Kovacs with 809. 

With just 11 points separating first through third, the laser run came down to who would walk away with a medal. Rain fell inside the stadium that delayed the start for 15 minutes. Points determined the delay between the leader and the rest of the field. Batashova had a 10-second start on Kim, but once they went into the first shoot, it was Kim that missed a shot that led French following Kovacs and Batashova. 

Kate French of Great Britain finished first in the laser run to win the gold medal in the women's modern pentathlon. 

The three succeeded in the second shoot with Kim losing out once again. French began to open the gap on the other two with a perfect shoot. She came into the third 50 meters ahead and left with a clean five for five and successfully lapped Brazil’s Ieda Guimaraes soon after. The Brit had a 15-meter lead and when she came into the final shoot, she again went five for five with 800 meters left to run. She had a 17 second lead on Kovacs and Asadausakaite, keeping her gap big that brought the gold. The Lithuanian had enough gas to push ahead of Kovacs and secure the silver medal with the Hungarian holding well for the bronze.  

It was a second medal for Asadausakaite, who won the gold nine years ago in London, being more than pleased to get a silver medal as her second individual medal. 

Modern Pentathlon gets underway with fencing at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

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A close battle for contention occurred on the men’s side while there were clear leaders on the women’s at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Thursday. Annika Schleu of Germany led the way with a 30 point lead after the fencing ranking round of the Modern Pentathlon at Musashino Forest Sports Plaza. Joseph Choong of Great Britain found himself in a tie with Alexander Lifanov of the ROC and other pentathletes close behind.

The ranking round consisted of 18 rounds each, with every athlete fencing with an epee weapon twice. One touch on an opponent would mark a victory in a one-minute bout, and a no-touch through the bout would result in no victory. 

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After each athlete completed 36 bouts, Schleu led the way with a 29-6 record. Her score of 274 gave her a 30 point lead on Kim, who had five fewer wins but more defeats. In third, Coyle ran as the sole female for Ireland, earning 238 points with a 23-12 record. The American Samantha Schultz finished second to last with just nine wins for 154 points. Rio silver medalist Elodie Clouvel of France was in a four-way tie for 12^th place with 196 points as she finished with 16 victories and 19 defeats. 

On the men’s side of the event, Choong and Lifanov were tied with matching records of 25-10 for 250 points. The difference came on victories with the tied group and the British pentathlete earning one during the round. Ilya Palazkov of Belarus and Justinas Kinderis from Lithuania also had matching records for second place. The difference went to the Belorussian, who had one victory tied to his group of fencers. 

Jinhwa Jung of South Korea and Jan Kuf of the Czech Republic finished with a 23-12 record for 238 points, making it very close between the top three pairs of pentathletes. Returning from Rio 2016 was silver medalist Pavlo Tymoschenko of Ukraine, who finished in a tie for fourth with 22 wins and 13 defeats. The women would finish the remainder of their event Friday with a winner to be decided in the laser run portion. The men continued their competition Saturday with medals being awarded after the conclusion of the laser run.  

China goes 1-2 on balance beam. Biles wins bronze

Chenchen Guan of China performed the best beam routine during the apparatus final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

The Chinese pulled off a feat to come through big at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Tuesday. Chenchen Guan, and Xijing Tang scored big numbers in the women’s balance beam final to win gold and silver respectively at the Ariake Gymnastics Center. Simone Biles’s return earned her a bronze, making her tied with American Shannon Miller for the most medals won by an athlete from the US. 

The 24-year-old superstar surprised and excited the world with her decision to return to action for the last apparatus final. On the last day of the competition at the Olympics, Biles found her comfort level to come prepared for the balance beam with Lee. In their hopes to go first and second, the pair from the United States knew that nerves had to be put aside to finish the sport successfully. Two athletes from China and Urazova from the ROC would be in a fight against the Americans to shove their way in for a medal of any color. 

The lone Canadian opened up the competition with a routine that had a few balance checks and hesitations. When she came down to the floor, she let the emotions flow while in the embrace of her coach. She earned a 13.866 that wouldn’t be a threat to any of the stronger athletes. Tang got the highest score going third with a 14.233, but Biles went next and pleased the crowd. 

The American had very little wrong with her routine, which gave her a 14 that kept her from the lead but left her score and Xijing’s very close together. Lee followed her teammate and fought the beam to stay on during her routine. The trouble she battled kept her on the apparatus, but her score of 13.866 only tied her with Black. Urara Ashikawa of Japan earned a 13.733 that made no threat to the leaders. 

Urazova had a major break in her beam routine but prevented falling off to finish strong. The ROC gymnast earned a 12.733 that put her at the back of scoring. The pint-sized Brazilian went second to last and came through her first tumbling pass too strong. She used her hands to keep on the apparatus and had balance checks that kept her from being a threat. With Guan the last gymnast to perform, Biles guaranteed herself a medal whether it was silver or bronze. 

The 16-year-old Chinese star had a major break in her connecting movements but the deduction would be a drop due to her 16.9 start value. Guan’s score of 14.633 instantly gave her the gold medal with China finishing first and second and Biles taking third.  

Morocco dethrones Kenya in men's 3000m steeplechase at Tokyo 2020

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For the first time in 41 years, someone other than a Kenyan became the Olympic champion at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Monday night. Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco won the gold medal in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase. His time of 8:08.90 was due to a push that sent Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia winning silver, and Benjamin Kigen holding onto bronze for Kenya. 

The Kenyans continued to be a dominating factor in being on the podium since 1980, but both Ethiopia and Morocco had two runners looking to keep them from gold. Rain fell on the course before the start of the steeplechase, making the track slippery for the 15 runners in total that were to complete seven laps with 28 hurdles and seven of them with water. 

The Ethiopians lead the pack, with the Japanese runner Miura getting out front before the end of the first lap. Miura opened up the gap and conducted the second lap, but couldn’t stay there for long. He ended up in fifth with the two Ethiopians back out front for the majority of the race. 

On the final lap, the Ethiopians continued to stand out front with El Bakkali splitting the two countries. At the home stretch, it was El Bakkali finding another gear to surpass Girma on the final turn. He ended the race with the Girma crossing second and Kigen making sure that Kenya didn’t stay completely off the podium to take bronze. 

Jade Carey wins gold with Vanessa Ferrari with silver at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

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Jade Carey came through with a golden routine at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Monday night. The American stood out from the rest taking the gold medal in the women’s floor exercise final at the Ariake Gymnastics Center. Vanessa Ferrari of Italy brought home their first medal in 93 years with silver, and both Angelina Melnikova of the ROC and Mai Murakami of Japan tied for the bronze. 

In the second to last event final of women’s gymnastics, Carey stood out as Team USA’s lone hope for a medal. Simone Biles withdrew from the apparatus, leaving Carey as the only one that qualified for it. Two athletes from the ROC and Great Britain’s pair of sisters were in the competition for a medal, with the Italian veteran hoping to make her stab at the age of 30. 

Viktoriia Listunova was first to go up and landed out of bounds on her first pass. She had a drop on her second that ultimately took her out of the hunt. After a lengthy decision on scoring for the ROC athlete, Carey got to take her routine into the spotlight, knocking it out of the park. Every tumbling pass was nailed down with two ending in a layout position. With very little problem, the American earned a 14.366 that set the bar for others. 

Jessica Gadirova got a 14 on her run, with Melnikova going right after her. A 14.166 put her past the Brit, but halfway between herself and the American. Ferrari had a beautiful performance that put her in the second position with a 14.200, which left scoring tight between first and third. Mai Murakami put up a good routine for Japan that put her in a tie for third, with a higher execution giving her a shot at medaling. 

Andrade was second to last, taking herself out of the running with a land out of bounds on her first tumbling pass. Her score of 14.033 kept her off the podium, with the second Gadirova sister left to perform. With a low start value, it gave Carey and Ferrari a chance to stay where they remained and come through with gold and silver.

When the Brit finished, she had small issues stalling in the air, landing with a dip in her form. With those standing out, it gave her a 13.233 that gave the American the gold, and Ferrari giving Italy its first gymnastics medal since 1928. Both Melnikova and Mai earned a bronze medal with no tiebreak being involved to determine a clear winner for it. 

Nina Derwael brings home gold for Belgium at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Nina Derwael of Belgium competes during the uneven bars apparatus final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

Nina Derwael made history for her country of Belgium at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Sunday. The 21-year-old kept everyone behind her on the uneven bars to secure a gold medal in the apparatus final. Anastasiia Iliankova of the Russian Olympic Committee held onto silver, and Sunisa Lee of the United States won bronze. It was the second medal in Olympic gymnastics for the European nation, and the first gold struck in the sport. 

With Simone Biles withdrawing from another apparatus final, it was up to Lee to carry her country to a medal with China and the ROC coming in with two athletes each. Derwael would also be a threat to the all-around gold medalist, as she scored the highest in qualifications. 

The 18-year-old took to the apparatus first and certainly felt the nerves after she hit the bar with her feet and had a pair of breaks in her routine. The judges gave her a 14.500 which gave her a slim chance at a medal. Derwael had a jam pack of combinations in her bar routine that almost came to disaster before the dismount. Despite avoiding the smallest of errors, the Belgian took over first place from Lee with a 15.200. 

Iliankova started for the ROC and earned a 14.833 that shoved the American into third with Melnikova going next. The Russian lost her momentum and dropped to the pad feet first yet continued her routine. Melnikova’s score wouldn’t affect the leaders but there were still three gymnasts to compete. 

China ran back to back with Yilin Fan going first and unfortunately flopped down on her backside after the landing. Her score of 13.900 was another that didn’t shake up scoring, but teammate Yufei Lu had a clean routine that came up a tenth short of Lee. Elizabeth Seitz of Germany was last up and looked for a chance to medal. She had a leaning dismount that affected her score and tied her with Lu. It clinched the first gold medal for Belgium in gymnastics in their history. 

Rebeca Andrade clinches vault gold at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Rebecca Andrade of Brazil holds her country's flag after winning the gold medal in the women's vault apparatus final at the Olympics. 

Rebeca Andrade made history for the country of Brazil at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Sunday. The 22-year-old came through to hold off all others on the vault apparatus final in gymnastics to win the gold medal. McKayla Skinner of Team USA stayed with the silver, and Yeo Seojeong of South Korea holding tightly behind for the bronze. 

Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the vault final where she had the hardest and successful vault in the world changed everything. With her, not a threat, many gymnasts from around the world had the opportunity to score a gold medal on the apparatus. Skinner and Carey both came into the final with the specialist on the team earning her spot due to the qualification score

Skinner went first and got a 15.033 on her first attempt. Her second was 14.8 to get a 14.916 average score. Alexa Moreno of Mexico was second and averaged out to 14.716 which would hold up for a spot on the podium. Andrade from Brazil got a 15.083  that surpassed Skinner as she delivered on both vaults. 

Carey took her moment and felt that something was wrong when she hit the vault table. She bailed out and kept the attempt easy for an 11.933. With her second being much more difficult, the American landed it but knew she was out of the running for an individual medal. Korean Seojeong got a 14.733 that put her into the third position but with the ROC still to come. Angelina Melnikova led her team but her two vaults didn’t threaten Andrade, Skinner, or Yeo. Liliia Akhaimova needed a high average of 14 but earned a 14.666 that secured medals for the three leaders, who after qualifications, never saw a chance at medaling. 

It was the first individual gold medal for Brazil in gymnastics and possibly not the last with the superstar American pulling out of all but one of the finals left to compete.