‘We thought we had it’ – Team GB gymnastics team gutted after missing out on medal by tiny margin
TEAM GB’s gymnastics team were left gutted after missing out on a medal at Paris 2024 by the smallest of margins.
That’s after they missed out on a bronze medal to Brazil by just 0.234 of a point.
So close to a medal
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 30, 2024
Great Britain finished fourth in the women's team final.
Just 0.234 of a point behind Brazil in bronze.
This is how they reacted…#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/V2XtEjiUpY
The Brits were in third place behind the US and Italy before the fourth and final rotation on the night.
But Angela Andreoli’s wonderful 90-second floor routine extended the Italians’ lead over the Brits before Brazil did enough to clinch bronze.
It saw Brazil finish on 164.497 points with the Brits finishing on 164.263.
Alice Kinsella said she thought the team had done enough for a medal place.
Speaking to the BBC after the event, a gutted Kinsella said: “I’m so proud of this team, I feel like we gave it our absolute all tonight and we did really think we did it but I just feel so super proud of the girls.”
16-year-old Abigail Martin, who was making her Olympic debut alongside Georgia May-Fenton and Ruby Evans said: “We gave it our all. It being our first Olympics just making sure we enjoyed the experience [was the main thing].”
Evans, 17 shared in the disappointment as she said: “Obviously we thought we had it, but we didn’t. But I think we couldn’t have done anymore so as long as we walk away knowing we couldn’t do anymore then we can be happy.”
Away from Team GB‘s brush with bronze, a US team led by Simone Biles stole the show as they racked up 171.296 points and captured gold.
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Biles starred for the US as she completed an astonishing comeback.
In Tokyo three years ago, Biles only did one vault routine but then withdrew from the competition, citing the ‘twisties’, a mental block that prevented her from competing in the event again.
It was one of the biggest shocks of those Games and it was feared she may walk away from the mat completely.
Yet the Ohio-born acrobat – the star of a Netflix series and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – had no issues this time with a high mark of 14.900 on the vault.
Biles, 27, blew a kiss to the camera following her display on the uneven bars and then, despite a wee wobble on the balance beam, she marvelled again on an apparatus just 10 centimetres wide.
The crowd, which included 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, were enthralled by her performances and you felt the hush in the Bercy Arena whenever she was on patrol.
