Dipa Karmakar has finished fourth in the final of the Artistic Gymnastics Vault event at Rio 2016, just missing out on a medal place in what was the first appearance ever for an Indian female gymnast in the final of the Olympics. She put up her best performance yet at an international event, and made the impossible seem probable for the most precious of durations.
The first jump of the night came from Un Jong Hong, whose first vault earned her a score of 15.400, sending the crowd into raptures. Her landing was not good at all as she attempted a triple twist for the second vault, however, as she could only finish with an average score of 14.900.
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The first Produnova of the night was seen from Oksana Chusovitina, who could not execute the best of landings, rolling over her back once on the ground before getting up and recovering her position. Even she incurred a penalty on landing for her second vault, finishing with an average of 14.833.
Canadian Shallon Olsen failed to change the rankings, registering a score of 14.816. The next two gymnasts, however, would change the rankings drastically, both of them improving the previously registered highest score and climbing to the top spot. China’s Yan Wang and Switzerland’s Guilia Steingruber scored 14.999 and 15.216 respectively, as the 15-mark was breached for the first time.
Next up was Dipa Karmakar, who went for the Tsukahara vault for her first attempt and the famed Produnova for her second vault. She scored an unprecedented high 8.866 on the execution of her first vault, setting herself up for a titanic last jump. For her second vault, the Produnova was unleashed! It looked perfect to the naked eye, but replays showed that her landing had not been perfect. She had balanced herself on her haunches for the tiniest fraction of a second, before recovering and standing on her legs.
She was given a score of 15.266 on the Produnova, as she finished with an average score of 15.066. Had Dipa been able to land her Produnova as perfectly as she has before, she could have got an even higher score. She had recorded a score of 15.300 with the same vault in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The highest recorded score on the Produnova ever is also by Dipa, 15.333 in the 2015 World Championships.
She had climbed up to second spot, only behind Steingruber! But Maria Paseka and Simon Biles, the biggest heavyweights, were still to come. Both of them lived up to their reputations, registering scores above 15 on both their vaults, the only two of the eight to do so.
The phenomenal Biles from USA won the gold medal with a score of 15.966. Maria Paseka from Russia claimed silver with a score of 15.253. Steingruber of Switzerland claimed bronze medal with a score of 15.253.
Dipa Karmakar, Indian pathbreaker in artistic gymnastics, finished 4th with a score of 15.066, the only competitor with a score above 15 who was not standing on the podium. It has been a giant leap for India already! She may have missed an Olympics medal by the tiniest of margins, but it is for sure that a new national hero has been found.
Final Standings
Simone Biles (USA) - 15.966Maria Paseka (RUS) - 15.253Steingruber (SUI) - 15.216Karmakar (IND) - 15.066Wang (CHN) - 14.999Hong (DPR) - 14.900Chusovitina (UZB) - 14.833Olsen (DEN) - 14.816
