It’s a weird time of night for most of us, but the women’s beam final is about to begin at the 2014 World Championships in Nanning, China, and we’re here to bring the action to you live through this blog! We will update after each routine – just click refresh every two to five minutes to see the latest. Enjoy!

These are definitely my least favorite U.S. leos…I definitely prefer the bubblegum pink to this hot pink. But that’s just my personal preference. Japan are still in the same leo we’ve seen all week.

I’m glad they kept Bai Yawen in…and LOVE her leo. The teal and lime go well together, I think. Mustafina’s in a different color of the same leo she wore in all-around finals and it’s GORGEOUS. Gold medalist Yao gets monstrous applause. Iordache’s leo is plain but a nice color teal.

Bai Yawen, China, 15.033

Wolf jump to split jump to start, and then a lovely Yang Bo, followed by a switch ring leap. Her roundoff layout is lovely, though like most layouts, had a moment where it looked piked, though it’s only at the end where it’s basically impossible not to pike. Her front aerial to sheep jump was slowly connected, but she hit a lovely side aerial. Solid side somi, she’s just so natural on this event. Full turn is nice, as is the switch leap, and she goes in for the double pike with a step back. An excellent, clean routine. I bet China’s THRILLED they didn’t swap her for Shang Chunsong, who’s had so many struggles this week, sadly. AND SHE JUST WINKED AT THE CAMERA. ADORABLE. 15.033 (6.2 / 8.833)

Simone Biles, United States, 15.100

She begins with the wolf 2.5, which looks very controlled. Her jumps are nicely connected, and she hits the front aerial to split jump without a fight. The bhs-loso-loso has just the tiniest check, the side aerial is nice, as is the switch to switch half to back pike. Her foot comes up on the punch front, and she NAILS the full-in. WOW. Just the tiniest hop to bring her feet up an inch. “Finally, I hit, like, a good beam routine!” 15.1 (6.4 / 8.7)

Aliya Mustafina, Russia, 14.166

Begins with the double turn, lovely as usual. The standing arabian into the split jump to wolf jump is her best all week! Very nicely connected. Her switch half has a little bobble, so she doesn’t connect it into the Onodi…doesn’t even try. There’s a pause between the side aerial and sissone, and then she makes a HUGE mistake as she has no flight series. She does the front aerial into just a front walkover instead of the front aerial, and then pauses before the back handspring. UGH. Poor Aliya. The switch ring is fine, and she hits the double tuck with a step back. SHAME about losing her series yet again. 14.166 (5.5 / 8.666)

Yao Jinnan, China, 13.366

Her front aerial is meant to go into the sheep but she takes a break between the two. Oh no, and she’s off on her bhs-bhs-layout series!! She was WAY off-line there. Too bad. Switch ring is lovely. The Y turn is great, as are the side aerial and switch to split jump. She finishes with a double pike with a step back. Just a shame about missing a connection and then falling, but she doesn’t look too rattled. 13.366 (5.7 / 7.666)

Elsabeth Black, Canada, 13.700

She starts with a lovely double turn to full turn, excellent. The punch front pike is very solid, and she just pulls her leg up on the bhs layout flight series. She hesitates before the bhs tuck full but falls, unfortunately. Man, that sucks. The switch to switch half is no problem, nor is the punch front tuck. Her legs come apart on the 2.5 dismount and she steps back, almost as if she’s over it. Just too bad. Lots of excellent routines tonight with just ONE problem apiece!!! 13.7 (6.3 / 7.4)

Larisa Iordache, Romania, 14.066

She’s moving quickly through her dance at the start before her bhs tuck full and SHE FALLS. WHY DEAR GOD WHY. This is THE worst beam final in the history of my life. She really really fought for that, though. A HUGE fight, but you could see it wasn’t going to happen for her…her feet were just way too far off. Her bhs layout is a bit messy with her legs apart, but she hits her double turn well. The switch to switch half to sissone is good, as is the front aerial to wolf jump. No problems on the side somi at all, and she has the most gorgeous triple full dismount of the meet. (14.066 (6.2 / 7.866)

Kyla Ross, United States, 13.866

The punch front to wolf is excellent, as is the split to sissone. Her leg comes up on her front aerial and she can’t connect it to the sheep jump, which has a wobble. The bhs loso is solid, though, and she hits the full turn with no problems. She has a very nice switch ring, a solid side somi, a switch leap which she doesn’t connect to anything, and then her side aerial comes in. She dismounts with a double tuck and a step back. 13.866 (5.6 / 8.266)

Asuka Teramoto, Japan, 14.100

Her double turn to start is PERFECT. She has a lovely Onodi with a pause before her split and straddle jumps, and NAILS her flight series, finally, after not hitting in team or all-around finals. There’s a pause between her front aerial and side somi but not a dramatic one, and her switch side is excellent. She has a nice switch leap which she doesn’t connect to the side aerial, and then she nearly sticks her triple full dismount! A near-perfect routine for her. Wow. Just incredible. 14.1 (5.6 / 8.5)

Simone Biles wins her third gold medal of the competition – fourth medal this year and EIGHTH in two years! – with Bai Yawen earning the silver and reigning beam champion Aliya Mustafina winning the bronze, her first individual medal of the Championships.

Teramoto’s camp submitted an enquiry to change her start value but it was rejected…unfortunate, I thinik, as while I thought Mustafina was gorgeous, she missed her flight series and Teramoto was quite a bit cleaner throughout. Happy for Mustafina, but a bit confused by this judging.

Article by Lauren Hopkins