Dein erstes Forum » the title contest by winning a low

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The nerves were there. Unmistakable. Unavoidable. Standing in the darkened tunnel before entering Rio Olympic Arena on Sunday night, the U.S. womens gymnastics team felt the pressure that comes not from outside expectations but those held within.Then the lights came on.And just like that, the young women in the glittery red-and-blue leotards national team coordinator Martha Karolyi has molded into a global force relaxed.And dominated.On bars. On beam. On vault and floor too. Their not-a-typo score of 185.238 was nearly 10 points better than second-place China through four of the five subdivisions, a preposterous gap in a sport where the difference between first and second is measured in fractions.Its never 100 percent perfect but I think we showed that our gymnastics is of the highest level, Karolyi said.One no opponent is close to reaching. If the U.S. had swapped out its highest score on each event with its lowest, it would still be up by six points.Three-time world champion Simone Biles led the way. Her score of 62.366 was well clear of teammate Aly Raisman. So much for the butterflies in her stomach.I do a very good job at hiding it, Biles said. The team, we just calm it down.Consider it a luxury of being so far beyond the rest of the planet. All five women earned a spot in either the all-around or event finals, or in the case of Biles and Raisman, both.Raisman, a three-time Olympic medalist four years ago, grabbed the second spot in the individual all-around for the Americans by edging reigning Olympic champion Gabby Douglas thanks in part to what Raisman called the best bar routine of my life.Rules limit each country to two gymnasts per event in the all-around and event finals, meaning even though Douglas was third overall, shell miss out on a chance to defend the crown she won in London. Not that she was moping. When Raisman drilled her dismount on beam, Douglas rose from her chair and gave her a hug.A controversial selection to the five-woman team after a so-so performance at Olympic trials, Douglas validated Karolyis choice with steady performances all over, including a bars set that earned her a spot in the individual finals.She said `I believe in you, and you can go out and do it, Douglas said. At the end of the day that means so much ... because shes very precise. It feels good.The top eight teams in qualifying move on to Tuesdays team final, where the U.S. is expected to repeat the gold it won easily in London and give it to Karolyi as a retirement present. Karolyi is stepping away after the games, though shes hardly in a hurry to get there. There are still a few more lessons to teach.My expectations are higher for you than anyone elses, she said. What Im trying to do is get the most out of every single person.No wonder Russian gymnastics star Aliya Mustafina figures everybody is playing for silver.Its going to be really difficult to compete against the American team, Mustafina said through a translator after the Russians survived a sometimes shaky qualifying session. They are unbeatable at the moment.China and Russia both struggled at times on Sunday, beset by mistakes they cant afford to make if they want to make the team finals anything more than a coronation. While each have their strengths, the truth is the U.S. has few weaknesses. The margin for error will be thinner in the three-up, three-count final. Yet after the U.S. went 16 for 16 during an occasionally showstopping 90 minutes, they hardly seem overburdened by the stakes.I think all of our hard work was just to show the world, said Madison Kocian, who put up the top score on uneven bars. I mean were 10 points ahead.Something thats not supposed to happen.Good luck world. Its up to China, Russia, Great Britain, Brazil, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands to knock the Americans off their throne. How difficult will it be? Consider this: the margin between the U.S. and the Chinese on Sunday was greater than the margin between China and 12th-place Belgium.Romania failed to qualify for the Olympics as a team for the first time in more than 40 years but will have an event finalist after Catalina Ponor finished in the top eight on beam. Uzbekistans Oksana Chusovitina, competing in her record seventh Olympics, reached the vault final after finishing fifth in qualifying.The 41-year-old played coy when asked by her 17-year-old son Alisher if this is her last go-around.Wait and see honey, Chusovitina said with a laugh.Austin Seibert Jersey .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. Bernie Kosar Youth Jersey . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. http://www.footballbrownsnflprostore.com/Youth-Baker-Mayfield-Elite-Jersey/ . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Austin Seibert Browns Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. Ozzie Newsome Browns Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss.Australian Tyler Wright has taken another step towards a maiden world surfing title by powering into the quarter-final of the Roxy Pro France.Wright proved far too good for compatriot Laura Enever and American Sage Erickson in the non-elimination third round on Saturday to move straight through to the quarter-finals.I was happy with how that heat went, I had a plan and just had to stick to it, its a rip bowl on my backhand which is kind of new territory for me, said Wright.American Courtney Conlogue is the only surfer who can deny Wright the 2016 crown.Conlogue stayed alive in the title contest by winning a low-scoring third-round clash against Australians Sally Fitzgibbons and Nikki van Dijk.Conditions were so tricky on that high tide, on my first wave I was hoping to finish that last turn and not making it kind of put me against the wall, Conlogue said.Im stoked to get into the quarters and hopefully I get a few more waves than that.Six-time WSL champion Stephanie Gilmore bblasted through the final heat of the womens third round with an inspiring performance in the days most-exciting exchange against three-time world champ Carissa Moore and fellow Hawaiian Coco Ho.ddddddddddddKai Otton dealt another blow to fellow Australian Matt Wilkinsons faltering mens world title hopes by eliminating him in the third round fo the Quiksilver Pro France.I did not really care about Wilko at all in that heat to be honest, said Otton.I was just all about me. I need to make some heats if I want to stay on tour. I just want to win.I do not want to go out losing in the third round all year and that was a really crucial heat for me. I am rooting for Wilko to win the title, but I have to win my heats when they come.Fellow world title challengers John John Florence from Hawaii and Brazils Gabriel Medina are still in contention in Hossegor. ' ' '