After years of preparation and hard work, the world's eight best vaulters will vie for the title of Rio 2016 Olympic Games vault champion. In one of the toughest event final fields, it is newly crowned Olympic all-around gold medalist and two-time world vault silver medalist Simone Biles leading the way, with 2008 Olympic vault gold medalist Hong Un-Jong and 2012 Olympic vault bronze medalist and reigning vault world champion Maria Paseka the favorites to take the gold.
Also in the vault final field is reigning European vault champion Giulia Steingruber, 41-year-old Uzbek Oksana Chusovitina, 2015 Asian vault champion Wang Yan, 2014 Commonwealth Games vault bronze medalist Dipa Karmakar, and Candian Shallon Olsen.
Past vault results
At the last Olympic games, the London 2012 Olympic Games, only two of the eight finalists here in Rio competed in London, with Russia's Maria Paseka taking the bronze medal four years ago and Chusovitina placing fifth.
At the most recent world championships, the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, it was Paseka taking the gold with a very impressive 15.666 with North Korean Hong Un-Jong receiving silver with a 15.633 and Biles winning bronze with a 15.541. Three other competitors in this vault final made the final in Glasgow, with India's Dipa Karmakar placing fifth, China's Wang Yan placing sixth, and Switzerland's Steingruber placing seventh.
In April at the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in Washington, only Canada's Shallon Olsen competed in the vault final of the eight gymnasts here, with Olsen taking home the gold. At the final qualifier for the games here in Rio, the Aquece Rio Test Event, it was India's Karmakar who took home the gold with Chusovitina winning the silver. At the European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Bern, only Steingruber made the final of the eight gymnasts in here in Rio, with the Swiss taking home the gold with a 14.983.
Lastly, only a few days ago here in Rio in qualifications, Biles took home the top qualifying score with a 16.050 on her impressive Amanar and Cheng vaults, with Jong scoring a 15.683, Steingruber scoring a 15.266, and Paseka receiving a 15.049. Placing fifth in qualifications was Chusovitina with a 14.999, with Olsen a surprising sixth with a 14.950, Yan putting up a 14.949 for seventh, and Karmakar taking the last spot with a 14.850 for eighth.
Who will take home the gold, silver, and bronze?
With Biles by now having arguably secured the title of greatest gymnast of all-time, the newly crowned Olympic all-around gold medalist is the heavy favorite for the gold medal here on vault. Despite never having won a gold medal on vault at a world championship, Biles has significantly improved her vault since last November, upgrading her second vault from a Lopez to a Cheng and making her first vault, an Amanar more consistent as well.
For the silver, the primary favorites are Beijing 2008 vault gold medalist Hong Un-Jong and London vault bronze medalist Maria Paseka. Paseka came here to Rio struggling with some back issues and has looked slightly inconsistent on her vault, receiving only the fourth highest score in qualifications with a 15.049, while Jong scored a 15.683.
If either Jong or Paseka falter, another potential medal winner is Switzerland's Giulia Steingruber who also poses the Amanar and Cheng, and 41-year-old Oksana Chusovitina, who could perform the insanely hard Produnova vault. If Chusovitina can successfully land the Produnova on her legs before falling, the incredibly high difficulty would all but guarantee her a medal, with Karmakar also capable of performing the Produnova.
Predictions:
Gold: Biles
Silver: Jong
Bronze: Paseka