Vanessa Ferrari and Carlotta Ferlito they conquer the all around final, but the Italian team as a whole leaves the scene, without replicating the success of London 2012.
Thus ends the qualifying competition for women's artistic gymnastics at the Rio Olympics, where the United States dominates from sidereal heights.
The Italian team stumbles on the beam, where three out of four gymnasts fall, losing precious points, essential to fight for a medal. Fortunately, the grace and acrobatic ability of our athletes prevails instead in the floor exercise, where Vanessa Ferrari flies to the tune of "Nessun dorma" finishing third, behind the queen of the games, the North American Simone Biles and her compatriot Alexandra Raisman . Even Erika Fasana engages in the floor exercise final, in eighth position, giving Italy further reason for hope.
The final classification, of a day full of ups and downs, ends with the United States leading the team competition with a score of 182,238, followed by China, Russia, Great Britain, Brazil, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands.
In the individual competition Ferrari and Ferlito enter the leading group by a whisker, thanks to the passport rule, which prevents the various countries from bringing more than two gymnasts to the final. Because of this controversial choice, the race loses some champions such as Gabriele Douglas, gold in London, third yesterday in the overall apparatus, unfortunately behind two compatriots. The flying squirrel gives way to teammates Biles and Raisman, first and second respectively.
As for the individual specialties we find the superstar Simone Biles in the lead also on vault, beam and floor exercise, while the American Madison Kocian, is number one on the uneven bars. Artistic gymnastics is thus confirmed as an increasingly stars and stripes sport, capable of overshadowing the great Russian school and strong-willed China.
