2012 London Olympics

STORYLINES: Day 2 of Event Finals

STORYLINES: Day 2 of Event Finals

STORYLINES: Day 2 of Event Finals

Aug 5, 2012 by Danny Sierra
STORYLINES: Day 2 of Event Finals
From McKayla Maroney's shocking fall (and resultant silver medal) on vault, to the dramatic tiebreaker that cost Great Britain's Louis Smith a gold medal on pommel horse, the Olympic event finals got off to a lively start on Sunday.  

With contests to decide the Olympic medalists on still rings, uneven bars and men's vault upcoming, here are the storylines you'll want to pay attention to on Day 2.


Denis Ablyazin's Full Schedule



After winning a bronze medal on floor exercise, Russia's Denis Ablyazin will compete in both the still rings and vault finals on Monday.  The leader on vault after qualifications, will Ablyazin have enough steam to land his difficult vaults, a half-on, 2 1/2 twist off and Tsukahara double pike?


Will Tweddle Win First Olympic Medal?



The leader after qualifications, Great Britain's Beth Tweddle holds the highest bars score thus far in these Olympics - a 16.133.  A two-time World Champion on the apparatus, Tweddle has not yet won an Olympic medal of any color.  With all eyes on her, will she be able to deliver in one of the toughest finals of her career?

 
Will Yang Hak Seon Throw World's Hardest Vault?



The world champion in 2011, South Korea's Yang Hak Seon amazed fans by performing a handspring triple twist to win gold in Tokyo.  Opting to throw less difficulty in prelims, he still managed to qualify in second.  Will Yang Hak Seon be able to dazzle us again with his signature vault?


Can Anyone Beat Chen Yibing?



Defending Olympic champion and four-time World still rings champion Chen Yibing appears to be nearly invincible on his best event.  Clearly the class of the field in Beijing, Chen will likely face tougher opponents in London, with Italy's Matteo Morandi, Brazil's Arthur Zanetti and Russia's Aleksandr Balandin at the top of their game.  In fact, Balandin bested Chen Yibing's score in team finals, 15.816-15.800.  Will anyone upset the champ?


Can Mikulak Overcome Lower Difficulty Vaults?



With just a single bronze medal so far in these Games, Sam Mikulak will aim to bring more hardware home with the U.S. men's team.  Vaulting a Kasamatsu double full (7.0) and a handspring double front (6.6), Mikulak is already six tenths down in E-score from the top qualifier, Ablyazin (7.0, 7.2).  To win his first Olympic medal, Mikulak will need to nail his vaults.  Will he?


Jovtchev's Final Routine



With gymnastics legend Oksana Chusovitina (age 37!) competing her final vault Sunday, it is now Jordan Jovtchev's turn to close out a historic career.  Jovtchev, at 38 years old, is competing in his sixth Olympic Games and was absolutely shocked to advance to the still rings final.  While a medal is a stretch, Jovtchev's final gymnastics routine is sure to provide a powerful moment in the arena.


Will Russia Strike Gold?



After one day of event finals, Russia leads the gymnastics medal count with five medals across men's and women's events.  However, no Russian has claimed gold yet in London.  With Ablyazin a favorite on vault, Komova and Mustafina in the mix on uneven bars, and Balandin qualifying third on still rings, will the Russian anthem finally play in North Greenwich Arena?

Related:
More information on the Men's Vault Final
More information on the Uneven Bars Final
More information on the Still Rings Final

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