Rio 2016: Qualifications - A very Russian start to these Olympics

Can we start over on beam???

Ugh. I didn't want or expect a good qualification from Russia, because that would have been trouble, but this? No, just no. Congratulations to Seda though, for being the most consistent member of the Russian team. Who saw that coming?

Russia started on beam and as usual, everything started going wrong as soon as they were up. Even their leo was bad, I hate it.  Melka bobbled her way through her routine and even put her hands down on her front tuck. Then she rubbed some salt in my wounds by dismounting with high and beautiful double pike that ended in a huge hop backwards. After a bad start, Seda managed to cheer me up by actually hitting her routine. WTF. She was steady with no balance checks, but had some iffy leaps and a big step after her dismount that together with the extra strict scoring on balance beam today took her out of the finals. I had never imagined a situation in which she didn't fall but still didn't make the finals. Ugh. It was time for Aliya to save my day and she looked really good. Great double turn, great first series, steady, fluid beam work, and A FALL. WTF. She didn't only miss her acrobatic series, but fell on it, and managed to have the weirdest fall of the competition. Front aerial, hesitation after it, hands down for her second front aerial and a jump off. She didn't look happy, no beam medal for her. Spiridoz continued with the surprising rotation and actually hit her routine beautifully. WTF. She was the savior of Russia with a decent score, but I was pretty much done with the competition by this point.

Balance Beam:

• Seda: 14.466
• Dasha - 14.266
• Melka - 13.266
• Aliya - 13.033

Melka was first up on floor as well, but I didn't see it because my internet connection failed. I was actually happy about it later, because she fell. Seda however was on fire, the Olympics really agree with her. She didn't look nervous at all and even her landings were good. Unfortunately she got hammered in execution and again, my joy was short-lived. Like on beam, they were really strict on floor today too. I was pretty sure at this point that Aliya was going to bomb as well, but she managed a decent routine. She actually made her turns, gomez included, but fell out of the mustafina and forgot how much she had improved her twisting, the full out of the 3/2 looked almost tucked. Her difficulty was low too, no upgrades from PT. She really couldn't upgrade for the Olympics? Maybe for TF or AA... Spiridoz was last again, but not the savior this time, she sat down the front pike on her first pass. Russia was the last team at this point, behind not only China, but Italy and Belgium too. Ouch.

Floor Exercise:

• Aliya - 14.066
• Seda - 13.875
• Melka - 13.2
• Dasha - 12.033

The way things were going, I was starting to fear that Melka would die on vault. She didn't however, and did a great DTY. I didn't get to see Aliya, but apparently she didn't have problems either, thank god. Seda was on a roll and threw a nice DTY too. I don't understand how she can have such bad form on block, but the minute she's in the air, she looks perfect. There was no mustafina, her second vault was a great lopez. It was Masha's turn to end the excellent rotation well, but she started with a cheng, overrotated it and did a twirl around the mat because of the momentum. It was just a weird day for everyone apparently. And at least she didn't fall. I was really scared for her amanar after that, but it was fine, not her best though. She was slightly low on the landing and had to take a hop back, but it was much better than the cheng. Masha was the team's vault specialist, but they actually ended up dropping her score from the team total. Only Russia...

Vault:

• Aliya - 15.166
• Melka - 14.933
• Seda - 14.733/14.733
• Masha - 14.733/15.366

I was ready for a disaster on bars, but for once, everyone delivered. And not only delivered, but dominated the competition. It was amazing. I didn't see Melka, but she hit. I'm so happy that she could get herself together, starting out badly and finishing well is much better than the opposite. Or being bad throughout. Spiridoz went on and was as great as usual posting a huge score as usual. That was so needed. There was something weird going on with her D-score though, I was too nervous for Aliya to pay attention. Next up was Aliya and I have never, ever been so nervous for her on UB. I was jumping in front of the screen nearly screaming at it. But she's My Tsaritsa and blew up the competition as only she could. She did the most calm and easiest looking routine with upgrades and near-perfect execution and posted the highest score of the quad. Aliya, ladies and gentlemen, Aliya fucking Mustafina. Because of the nerves and many disappointments, I was close to a breaking point and actually had tears in my eyes, I was so happy and thankful that Aliya saved my day. I love her. Seda was last up because she's not going to do bars in the team final and they were ready to toss out her score, but she wasn't down with that shit and posted the highest score of her career on bars, even higher than Melka. What is it with the Olympics and Seda?!? The worst headcase of the team does the best at the Olympics. I love her, I'm so, so, so happy for her right now. 

Uneven Bars:

• Aliya - 15.833
• Dasha - 15.683
• Seda- 15.133
• Melka - 15.1

Even though she was good on vault and bars, Melka ended her competition in tears after not making AA. Seda (again, what is it with her an the Olympics???) not only posted the highest AA score of the team, but was actually leading the AA qualifications after two rotations. Seda, my Princess Tut! Aliya was just a bit behind her after her disaster of a beam routine, and ended her competition consoling poor Melka. I'm so sad. It was Melka's first year as a senior and the Olympics, plus she's Russian, so the odds were against her, but still. I didn't expect this to happen. There always a possibility, that if Melka hits during team final, the Rods are going to pull Seda out of the AA in favor of Melka, but that would be just terribly unfair.

All Around:

• Seda - 58.207
• Aliya - 58.098 
• Melka - 56.499

Today's many mishaps should promise a good team final for Russia, but the individual finals are another thing. They have two gymnasts at the UB final (and the Americans are getting some ridiculous scores on bars, the judges are on crack), but no one made the beam final, their best chance at medals after bars, is floor final. Paseka is in the vault final, over a point behind Simone Biles, who looked out of this world. Ugh.

China was also bad, and hit with some nasty scores just for being in the first rotation, but at least Brazil looked amazing. I'll probably white a super angry post about the scoring in subdivision 4 tomorrow, if I have the energy. Or maybe it will be a sad, disappointed one. Everyone before div. 4 was screwed over roally.