The United States finished their gymnastics subdivision two qualifying session ahead of Japan, which some considered an upset given Japan’s place as the reigning world champions. Another subdivision took place later in the evening, but with the US on top of the standings overall after the first two, they were guaranteed a spot in the finals with a score of 270.405.
2016 Rio Olympic gymnastic results: United States finishes 2nd in men’s qualifying
The US men’s Olympic gymnastic team will advance to the final after qualifying in second on Saturday.
Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY Sports
That score narrowly beat out Japan’s 269.294. The US will have its hands full in the finals, though. Sam Mikulak was the top individual performer for the US, finishing in fourth after the first two subdivisions. Chris Brooks was the only other American man trying to qualify for the all-around final, but he finished 14th after the first two subdivisions.
The Americans participated in qualifying Subdivision 2, along with Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Taiwan (as Chinese Taipei) and Vietnam.
After the evening’s third subdivision, the United States wound up in second overall behind China. Taking part in the third subdivision, China edged out the US by just 0.560 points after qualifying. China, United States, Russia, Japan, Great Britain, Brazil, Ukraine and Germany are the eight teams that will advance to the final.
Mikulak and Brooks both qualified for the all-around finals.
Under the competition format for Olympic gymnastics, Saturday’s events have a hand in setting up the entire rest of the gymnastics events at these Summer Games. The top eight teams advance to the team finals, and the top 24 individual men participate in the individual all-around final. Also, Saturday determines which eight gymnasts get to participate in the specific apparatus finals (i.e. pommel horse, horizontal bar, floor exercises, parallel bars).
The United States collected only one gymnastics medal in London in 2012 – a bronze won by Danell Leyva in the individual all-around. The Americans finished third in the team competition in Beijing in 2008, a year when Jonathan Horton won silver on the horizontal bar. They haven’t been a force at the top of Olympic medal counts, however.
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