The most shocking development in the opening round of women's gymnastics at the Olympics is the fact that Jordyn Wieber will not be participating in the individual all-around final. However, she must move past it to help the team win the gold.
Wieber was the 2011 world champion in the all-around competition, but the rules state that no more than two competitors per country are allowed to reach the finals. Teammates Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman put together outstanding performances in the opening round to advance.
Therefore, Wieber will only be a spectator in the all-around finals, despite finishing with the fourth most points in the competition.
Still, the team will need her if it wants to win its first team gold since 1996 in Atlanta. Wieber will be competing in a number of events, and if she is not in the right frame of mind, the team will suffer.
Fortunately, the U.S. squad seems too deep to fail. Not only does this group have experience from winning the 2011 World Championships, but everyone competing is considered one of the best in the world at their sport.
If everyone on the team can perform to their capabilities, they should be able to dominate the competition.
After the team competition, Douglas and Raisman will be competing for the prestigious individual all-around. While Wieber came into the games as the favorite, either of these two are capable of taking home the gold.
The biggest external competition will be from Viktoria Komova. The Russian finished second in last year's world championships, and she finished the qualifying round with more points than anyone else in the field.
Both Komova and Douglas had disappointing floor routines to start the competition, but the competition will be interesting when the two perform their best.
In addition, the Americans should be able to take home a few medals in the individual event competitions throughout the week.
Wieber's only chance to win an individual medal will be in the floor exercises and her determination might be enough to put her over the top. In addition, McKayla Maroney is on the team specifically for her vault expertise and should be the favorite in that competition.
No medals have been given out in gymnastics yet, but the Americans have set themselves up for quite a week as they try to continue a great legacy at the Olympics.
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