Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Becky Downie and Ruby Evans on song as Team Great Britain lead gymnastics qualification
Updated 28/07/2024 at 12:58 GMT+1
The returning Becky Downie and 17-year-old debutant Ruby Evans were on strong form as they began Great Britain's qualification campaign in the artistic gymnastics event. Team GB and Romania competed in the first of five subdivisions with a place in the team event final up for grabs. Downie starred with an electric performance on the uneven bars, while Evans impressed on the vault.
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Becky Downie starred on her return to Olympic action as Great Britain began their artistic gymnastics qualification campaign at the Games in Paris.
Romania’s Ana Barbosu came out on top in the individual standings with an overall 52.665 across the four apparatuses: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Team GB took an initial 1.333-point lead in qualification after the first of five subdivisions, with 160.830 points overall. They have since dropped to fourth, with new leaders United States, Italy and China all delivering superb displays.
"I hope [I’ve done enough]," Downie, who missed out on qualification for Tokyo 2020 following the sudden death of her brother, told Eurosport. "I think whatever the score was for me, I know I couldn’t have done more with that routine today.
"So it’s like let the judges do what they’re going to do. It’s hard being in subdivision one, but I’m really proud of the performance.
"I think even coming into the arena today it was like I have to really appreciate what I have been through to be here and just trust my work.
"It was a bit up and down with the adrenaline and all that, but I’ve had many warm-ups that are good and that are bad, and I just really wanted to enjoy the moment and soak it all in and I loved every minute out there today."
Debutant Ruby Evans, 17, produced an excellent score of 14.2 on the vault as Team GB impressed with an overall 41.966 during the opening rotation.
The Welsh national showcased an extra half-turn of the body to add to the difficulty score and top the overall vault standings over the course of the morning.
GB team-mates Alice Kinsella and Georgia-Mae Fenton posted slightly inferior but important scores of 13.933 and 13.833 respectively.
The British contingent led the team rankings heading into the second rotation, with Romania – returning to the Olympic gymnastics scene for the first time since 2012 – in second.
It was the uneven bars next for GB and Evans could only produce a slightly disappointing opening score score of 11.2 – hindered by a fall – before Fenton stepped up with a respectable showing. However, an awkward landing slightly cost her.
She still managed to add 12.833 to the team’s score, before Kinsella contributed an effort worth 11.9 as she also suffered a fall.
In a much-needed boost for Team GB, an emotional Downie marked her return to the Games for the first time since 2016 with a sublime bars performance which put her top of the standings.
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Becky Downie, Great Britain, Olympic Games
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Following a nervy wait, it was confirmed that the 32-year-old had delivered a huge 14.666, surpassing all her team-mates to keep GB in touch with Romania, who had moved above with impressive displays on the floor exercise and balance beam.
As well as the team event, Downie faces an anxious wait to see if she has made the bars final following her near-faultless display.
Evans once again opened for Team GB in the next rotation – this time on the beam – and kicked things off with a 12.6 as the elegant Fenton followed and delighted those inside the Bercy Arena with a 13.5.
Things looked much improved for GB on the beam with Downie adding 13.4 and former European Champion Kinsella following up her display with a 13.433.
During the third rotation, Rifda Irfanaluthfi made history as the first gymnast ever to represent Indonesia at the Olympics, as she recorded 9.166 on the uneven bars.
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Irfanaluthfi, 24, was grouped with Mexico, who were dealt a blow when Natalia Escalera suffered a painful-looking ankle injury at the conclusion of her bars attempt.
Romania had built a significant advantage over Britain heading into the fourth and final rotation with 122.498 points compared to GB’s 121.608.
Fenton gave the Brits a satisfactory start on the floor, while Bulgarian Valentina Georgieva – who suffered a leg break and ACL rupture on the vault at the 2022 European Championships – came closest to threatening Evans’ effort with a resurgent 13.999.
Evans and Martin both delivered useful scores and then Martin returned with a brand-new routine to rack up a vital 13.266 points for GB as they closed their qualification attempt.
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