It's actually happening,
after all the training,
the years of tension and uncertainty.
Tokyo 2020 is a go.
And at the Olympics, anything can happen.
Can anyone dethrone Queen Simone?
Or will a new all-around champion be crowned?
The gymnasts are ready to dazzle the world
in pursuit of the greatest prize in sports.
MORGAN HURD
ANGELINA MELNIKOVA
CHEN YILE
ALL AROUND [ORIGINAL SERIES]
MOSCOW RUSSIA
ANGELINA MELNIKOVA ALL-AROUND BRONZE MEDALIST
2019 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At last!
We have finally left the training center.
I can see people.
I'm very happy to be going, I feel fantastic!
When we were on the way to Rio
everyone stared at us just like this.
Looking at us in amazement.
"Who are they?" "Are they from another planet?"
I guess that deep inside
I'm ready to do the best routines
that I have ever done.
As a team there was so much anticipation,
we were counting down the days to our departure.
When we got on the plane,
we were excited,
this was what we'd been dreaming of
for a year and a half, and working so hard for.
Sitting on the plane we felt inspired and motivated
because we were heading for our biggest challenge
to show what we could do.
MIDDLETOWN DELAWARE, USA
These past few months have been rough
but there's been a lot of good patches in them.
I'm so proud of all my friends and I'm so happy for them.
They've worked so hard, they've sacrificed so much as well,
but at the same time it's like,
"Well I have too," I wish I was there as well.
2024 is way too far out to think of.
I'm going to focus on not
making a fool of myself on tour first
and then we'll get closer to thinking about it.
FIRST STATE GYMNASTICS NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER
Gymnastics as always is a very love-hate relationship
but at the moment it's a little more emphasis
on the disliking part of it,
just because I don't really have any goals
that I'm currently working towards
and I've always been a very goal-oriented person.
So it just kind of feels...
I wouldn't say pointless, but...
pointless.
So I'm hoping tour and college
will help me find the love for the sport again.
Gymnastics has brought me so much joy and pain
but it also taught me life lessons in the process
and I wouldn't be who I am today
or know the people that I do without it.
I think there are no words to put my journey into,
it's just been such a crazy ride and although
it didn't have the outcome that I was aiming for
and that there were so many tough times,
there were also so many good times
and I wouldn't change any of it for the world.
TOKYO JAPAN
The team and I got through all of the control zones.
There were lots of them.
The flight was good but we are still so tired
and we've just filled in a lot of paperwork.
We've collected our luggage and we're off to the Village.
Before the Games, it was quite hard because
I had been preparing for so long
and it was mentally very difficult to get through it.
We're heading off to our first training session.
I had to work as hard as I could every day
in order to get results.
You've got to crawl on your hands and knees
in order to fly high during the tournament.
This is us eating lunch.
We've had a training session,
then we eat, sleep
and get ready for the next training session.
FINAL TRAINING SESSION TOKYO 2020
We'd only get to talk to girls
from other countries in the gym,
not so much in the Village.
I was very worried about qualification,
especially about my floor routine
because I didn't feel prepared enough.
WOMEN'S TEAM QUALIFICATION 25TH JULY, 2021
How did I feel?
I just wanted it to start.
Angelina Melnikova!
I really couldn't wait to start on that first day.
After giving it a try, I loved the venue.
Everything was great and I felt comfortable.
After the qualification I was quite shocked
because we had beaten the American team,
which hadn't happened in a long time,
so it was a huge surprise.
I qualified for five finals.
Team final, all-around,
vault, uneven bars and the floor final.
It was so hard to comprehend,
how had I qualified for five finals?
Especially at the Olympics. It was amazing!
I felt really happy
and like I had given qualification my all.
Then I couldn't wait for all of the finals.
WOMEN'S TEAM FINAL 27TH JULY, 2021
In the morning before the team final,
I woke up very calm.
I felt confident.
I was much more confident than before the qualification.
In the team finals I was of course aiming
to perform at my best.
We knew we had to fight for every tenth of a point.
ROC TOKYO 2020
Angelina Melnikova now.
On the vault I think I got my highest-ever score.
I was very happy.
It's a very good start.
I'm sorry, I love you guys,
but you're going to be just fine.
Then there were the uneven bars.
I also got a very high score.
And I finished with a great landing,
so it couldn't have gone any better.
After the uneven bars we were leading by 2.5 points.
Vladislava Urazova.
When Vlada Urazova fell off the beam
I knew that I couldn't make any mistakes.
I was so angry with myself.
I was very upset with my performance.
Sticks the double pike.
Under pressure, that is enormous...
I felt really guilty,
and thought I'd let the whole team down.
I just wanted to hide.
Well done, Suni Lee.
Still doing the right thing.
That was a real wake-up call.
We knew we had to concentrate.
When we saw that we were leading by 0.8 before the floor
we were incredibly motivated.
I was certain that I would perform my routine well,
I was in the right frame of mind.
I was completely convinced I'd do it.
When I walked up I knew that I was the final competitor.
I thought, "Let's do this."
As soon as I landed
I knew we were Olympic champions.
I was a nobody one second
and then an Olympic champion the next.
It was an explosion of emotions,
I wanted to laugh, cry, jump in the air.
It feels amazing
when you've given everything and are rewarded
with an Olympic gold medal and title.
We didn't sleep for half the night.
We only slept for about three or four hours.
We have a training session this evening
because we need to prepare for the all-around.
WOMEN'S ALL-AROUND FINAL 29TH JULY, 2021
An unexpected opportunity
awaits the athletes at Ariake today.
Olympic and multiple world champion,
Simone Biles, won't be in the field
for the women's all-around.
For me it's actually much easier to perform
when I've already won a medal.
Especially if it's an Olympic gold.
Angelina Melnikova!
Well, that is a beautiful vault.
Great job, Suni Lee.
The all-around was the easiest competition of the Olympics.
I didn't feel any pressure.
WOMEN'S ALL-AROUND FINAL AFTER TWO ROTATIONS
1 ANDRADE - BRA 2 LEE - USA 3/4 MELNIKOVA URAZOVA - ROC
GUANGZHOU GUANGDONG, CHINA
Not taking part in the Olympics made me feel
quite sad.
I was training for the Games for so long,
and didn't make it,
not because I wasn't strong enough to compete
but because of my injury, something I couldn't control.
Even though I didn't take part in the Olympics,
when reflecting on my career as a whole
I feel very proud of my growth over the past few years.
Right now, I'm not thinking about Paris 2024.
I'll take it one step at a time,
I've not thought that far ahead,
Gymnastics is incredibly beautiful.
It unites us and teaches us
to be strong both physically and mentally.
I've learned so much.
TOKYO JAPAN
WOMEN'S ALL-AROUND FINAL 29TH JULY, 2021
The American team applauds.
It's a very, very important routine for Andrade.
I wasn't stressed at all.
My only concern was my floor routine.
I was 100% happy with bronze.
I'm now standing here waiting for the awards ceremony.
I'm overwhelmed with emotions.
The final was unbelievable!
Here are the girls. Everyone is happy!
A well-deserved victory for Suni Lee.
Rebeca Andrade.
She was just delightful to watch.
When you look at the medal
you then feel ready to try and win another one.
To give everything one more time.
WOMEN'S FLOOR EXERCISE FINAL 2ND AUGUST, 2021
I wanted to perform that routine well.
It was final performance at the Games.
The fifteenth time I had raised my hand.
All of the strongest athletes were performing after me.
It was terrifying waiting for the results.
Sharing third place was very special.
WOMEN'S FLOOR EXERCISE FINAL RESULT
1 - CAREY USA 2 - FERRARI ITA 3 - MURAKAMI JPN MELNIKOVA ROC
MOSCOW RUSSIA
It was overwhelming to land at the airport
and be greeted by so many people.
It's obviously really nice
but when you've just been on a 9-hour flight
and then have to do interviews and smile,
when all you really want to do is sleep is difficult.
Interviews can be hard because you really need to concentrate.
Overall it was amazing
that people came to welcome us home in such a special way.
Everyone was cheering and thanking us for winning medals.
That was an incredibly proud moment.
Thank you very much.
We admire your bravery and character!
Well done!
It's so heavy!
Free at last!
VORONEZH RUSSIA
My mom wrote me these huge text messages,
telling me how much she loved me and how proud of me she is.
When you feel that love from your family,
you want to do even more for them.
I've been on such an amazing journey
and at that moment it all felt worthwhile.
My journey had to have a happy ending.
In October there's the World Cup,
I don't know if I will be training for it,
I'll see how I feel physically.
We just couldn't believe it.
When the girls and I were on the bus afterwards
it still hadn't sunk in!
We thought, "It couldn't have been us."
Darling, you've been talking a lot but haven't eaten any cake.
I don't want any more cake.
I was not expecting that!
Right now, I'm going to my childhood gym,
where my grandma took me at the age of six
to begin my gymnastics journey.
So far, my post-Tokyo life feels like one long day
because I don't get enough rest or sleep.
I've definitely thought about
not continuing until Paris 2024.
I honestly don't know if I have it in me.
I would never want to experience everything
I went through before Tokyo,
it was really hard.
Everything's changed,
even people on the street recognize me.
I have this feeling of closure because...
the Olympics are the most important event
for any athlete.
You have to be completely ready for it, and I was.
I have so many Olympic medals now,
and I love the fact that I have the complete set.
It's the best thing that could have happened.
It's a reward for all of my struggles,
which is why I have a feeling of closure.
My mission in artistic gymnastics is 100% complete.
ALL AROUND [ORIGINAL SERIES]