RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, who entered the books three days ago as the first Olympic medalist in her country’s women’s gymnastics history, winning silver in the all-around competition, went a step higher on Sunday (01) by winning the vault: she now knows the glitter of gold.
Andrade won the competition with 15.083 points, ahead of USA’s Mykayla Skinner, 14.916, and South Korea’s Yeo Seojeong, 14.733.
Third on this apparatus at the 2018 World Championships, Mexico’s Alexa Moreno finished fourth just a breath away from the podium with 14.716.
Andrade succeeds as vault champion, American Simone Biles, gold in Rio and absolute dominator of this exercise since 2013, who is not competing in Tokyo due to mental health problems.
The situation of Biles, who today was again in the stands of the Ariake Gymnasium, also affects her team: her teammate Jade Carey could barely complete the event on her first jump and surpassed the colt without a maneuver. There were a few seconds when she also seemed on the verge of giving up. She managed to make the second and began to cry. The sadness among the Americans is evident.
Andrade went off the rail on her Cheng jump but went all the way to 15.166 despite the penalty and secured at least a podium finish. Simone Biles applauded her enthusiastically when she made her attempts and when a few minutes later, she put the gold medal around her own neck.
Alexa Moreno, coached by Spaniard Alfredo Hueto, did a Rudi (forward somersault with one and a half twists) that gave her 14.766 points and a Tsukahara with two and a half her 14.666, for an average score of 14.716. Only 17 thousandths of a second separated her from the bronze medal.
The Mexican finished ahead of Russia’s Angelina Melnikova (14.683) and Lilia Akhaimova (14.666).