Amalia Ghigoarta, Andreea Preda, Sabrina Voinea, Ana Barbosu, and Lilia Cosman

The start lists for the women’s qualifications at the 2024 Olympic Games have been released, and we’re going to talk through each team and notable individuals based on what we’re expecting to see in each subdivision, including any surprises and who will have the best opportunities for finals.

TEAM NOTES

The British team has been devastated by injuries over the past year, with both Jessica Gadirova and Jennifer Gadirova missing out along with Ondine Achampong. All three had been integral to the team’s success this quad, including in winning the silver medal at world championships in 2022, so it’s been quite a blow, though I still don’t see them as being fully down here, especially with Becky Downie joining the ranks with her experience and a medals-worthy bars set that could help keep them in the fight.

Downie will be competing both bars and beam while first-year senior Abigail Martin rounds her out on vault and floor, and we’ll see Georgia-Mae Fenton, Ruby Evans, and Alice Kinsella on all-around duty. The only returning member of the bronze medal-winning 2020 Olympic team, Kinsella – who won the all-around bronze medal at Euros this year and helped the very same team we’ll see here win silver – should join Downie as a leader, and I think with their guidance, this team will absolutely be in the mix for the podium.

Romania has the same group of athletes here that qualified the team to Paris at worlds last year, with Lilia Cosman, Ana Barbosu, and Amalia Ghigoarta in the all-around, Sabrina Voinea on every event but bars, and Andreea Preda stepping in as the leadoff on that apparatus. Voinea has been dealing with an injury and pain that has kept her from looking her best in training, but I don’t think the team would have been a finals threat regardless and I’m more concerned about her individual chances here.

ALL-AROUND NOTES

Kinsella should be the top competitor for the British athletes, but both Fenton and Evans have put up some excellent scores this year and I think either one could earn the second spot, or step in for Kinsella should she end up not making it for some reason. The Romanians have all roughly been on the same page, though I do think Barbosa has a greater level of potential than Cosman or Ghigoarta, and think she should be the one to watch should all go according to plan.

Among the individuals, all three athletes from Mexico will compete in the all-around, with Alexa Moreno generally the strongest, while I don’t think either Ahtziri Sandoval or Natalia Escalera would sneak in. Also competing are Caitlin Rooskrantz of South Africa, Anna Lashchevska of Ukraine, and Lena Bickel of Switzerland, none of whom will likely have super competitive scores for the final though I could see them all as bubble options on a good day.

VAULT NOTES

Valentina Georgieva of Bulgaria is competing every apparatus but floor here, though vault is where she has finals potential and she should be one of the most exciting to watch in this subdivision, along with Moreno and Sandoval. Barbosu will also compete two vaults, and while her difficulty might not be quite high enough for a spot, I’d say she could be on the bubble.

UNEVEN BARS NOTES

The top bars competitor in the first subdivision is Downie, without a doubt, and I’d also love to see Fenton or Kinsella make a run for it, though think the field could be too competitive (unless Fenton puts up one of her best sets).

Sandoval and Lashchevska are also ones to keep an eye on here, though not super likely for the final, while Rifda Irfanaluthfi of Indonesia will only compete on this apparatus after suffering an injury at worlds last year – whilst dismounting from bars, ironically – so if you want to see her, this is where you’ll have to tune in.

BALANCE BEAM NOTES

The Romanians should put on a great show here, with Voinea showing the strongest finals-worthy set, though all three of the others will be lovely to watch. The British ladies should also have some strong competitors, though probably none quite in the mix for the final.

FLOOR NOTES

Again, Voinea is generally stellar here and probably would be in the mix if she were in top shape, but given her injury struggles, I’m not quite sure what we’ll get and don’t think it will be what we would have expected a few months ago. We’ve also seen some good routines from Barbosu on this apparatus, but I’m not sure if her scores will be high enough to truly contend. Otherwise, I don’t really see any other medal contenders in the mix from this group, though I do think if anyone else has a chance of getting into the final it will be Kinsella.

Article by Lauren Hopkins