Individual event finals for men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics will continue on Aug. 4 with the men's ring final, the women’s uneven bar final and the men’s vault final.
Coming into the Games, defending Olympic rings champion Liu Yang was China’s gold medal favorite in men's rings. However, it was his teammate Zou Jingyuan who topped the standings after the qualification round. Both have a 6.4 D-score, in addition to Turkiye’s Adem Asil, so if there are no upgrades planned, the medal podium will be decided by execution — who can hit the cleanest routine and stick the landing.
Greece’s Eleftherios Petrounias, known as the “Lord of the Rings,” is a two-time Olympic medalist (gold in 2016 and bronze in 2020) who can never be counted out, along with France’s Samir Ait Said, who finished fourth on the event in Tokyo and third after qualifications.
QUALIFICATION RESULTS:
1. Zou Jingyuan (China) - 15.300
2. Liu Yang (China) - 15.233
3. Samir Ait Said (France) - 14.966
4. Glen Cuyle (Belgium) - 14.900
5. Adem Asil (Turkiye) - 14.866
6. Eleftherios Petrounias (Greece) - 14.800
7. Vahagn Davtyan (Armenia) - 14.733
8. Harry Hepworth (Great Britain) - 14.700
In the women's uneven bars final, expect a tight battle for the gold between Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour and China’s Qiu Qiyuan. The French-born Nemour, who now represents her father’s homeland of Algeria after the French national team doctor refused to clear her for competition, won a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships and finished the qualification round in first. She has one of the most difficult routines being done in the world (7.1 D-score) but will face stiff competition from 2023 world champion Qiu Qiyuan, who also performs a very difficult routine (6.8 D-score in qualifications).
Also in the final are defending Tokyo Olympic champion Nina Derwael of Belgium and Suni Lee, who won a bronze on the event in Tokyo. Both have overcome adversity to reach this point. Lee has battled back from two kidney diseases, while Derwael is back after a shoulder injury took her out of the 2023 season. Neither have the start value to challenge for the gold without mistakes from the top athletes, but will make a strong push for the bronze.
QUALIFICATION RESULTS:
1. Kaylia Nemour (Algeria) - 15.600
2. Qiu Qiyuan (China) - 15.066
3. Suni Lee (United States) - 14.866
4. Nina Derwael (Belgium) - 14.733
5. Yihan Zhang (China) - 14.700
6. Alice D'Amato (Italy) - 14.466
7. Becky Downie (Great Britain) - 14.666
8. Helen Kevric (Germany) - 14.600
The second day of event finals will conclude with the men’s vault final. Ukraine’s Nazar Chepurnyi leads the field thanks to his strong execution scores during qualifications. (He scored an 9.266 E for his Dragulescu and a 9.2 E for his Kas double).
However, Jake Jarman of Great Britain is the reigning world champion on the event as well as a two-time European champion and is a strong contender for the title.
Other contenders include Tokyo bronze medalist Artur Davtyan of Armenia and Ukraine’s Igor Radivilov, who won bronze in 2012.
A skill to be on the lookout for is Mahdi Olfati’s Yurchenko double pike — which is the same vault Simone Biles competes.
QUALIFICATION RESULTS:
1. Nazar Chepurnyi (Ukraine) - 14.833
2. Harry Hepworth (Great Britain) - 14.900
3. Aurel Benovic (Croatia) - 14.733
4. Igor Radivilov (Ukraine) - 14.700
5. Jake Jarman (Great Britain) - 14.699
6. Carlos Yulo (Philippines) - 14.683
7. Artur Davtyan (Armenia) - 14.666
8. Mahdi Olfati (Iran) - 14.583