The U.S. gymnastics team finished a surprising 2nd place in qualifying. Will that fuel them?

Simone Biles.
(Image credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The United States' women's gymnastics team is seeking its third straight gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, but their opening performance in Tokyo on Sunday wasn't as dominant as usual, leaving them in second place behind the Russian side after qualifying.

The New York Times notes that it wasn't particularly close, with the Russian gymnasts (who are not officially representing Russia because of a nationwide doping scandal) separating themselves by more than a point. But Tom Forster, the U.S. women's national team coordinator, suggested that realizing they have some serious competition could be just what the squad needs to turn things around. "This might be a great awakening for us, and we'll take advantage of it," he said, adding that the team made mental mistakes because of nerves, per the Times.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.