Rebeca Andrade tops all-around standings, as U.S. women continue to lead at Liverpool

Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade shook off a scary moment on the vault en route to the top of the leader board Sunday (30 October) during the qualifying round at the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, England.

In the end, the 23-year-old delivered a stunning all-around and earned a 57.332 total, ahead of Team USA's Shilese Jones (55.766) and Jade Carey (55.132).

In the team standings, the U.S. has a commanding lead after posting a 167.263 in Saturday's opening session. Great Britain is second, having earned a 164.029 in the day's final session. Brazil sits third at 163.563.

The Brazilians started on the balance beam where Andrade scored 13.400 for her routine that dismounted with a round-off, back handspring, double pike.

On the floor exercise, Andrade performed just her third routine on the event for 2022, opening her exercise with a front layout full to full-twisting, double back and a full-twisting double layout. Her 14.200 is the tied for the highest score so far with teammate Flavia Saraiva.

Andrade's only error Sunday came on the vault, the event on which she is the reigning world and Olympic champion. After performing a sky-high Cheng (Yurchenko half-on, front one-and-a-half off) for a 15.066, she slipped on the table during her second vault attempt, performing just a tucked back salto off instead on an intended double twist. Her second vault scored 11.466.

While her 15.066 counts for her all-around total, the two-vault average is used to determine the gymnasts that advance to the vault medal round. Her a 13.266 put her 11th and outside the final.

“She did an excellent first vault, but on the second vault she felt her hand just slipping on the table," said Brazilian coach Francisco Porath afterward. "Because Rebeca felt it was a mistake, she could save the vault, that’s the most important part.”

It was all part of a dramatic few minutes for Team Brazil as Saraiva moments earlier had landed her double-twisting Yurchenko vault but had to be assisted off the podium by her coach.

Despite the mishap, Saraiva, the two-time Olympian, completed her competition. She earned a 13.200 on the uneven bars for a routine that included just a simple front layout flyaway dismount. She's currently seventh in the all-around standings with a 54.133 total score.

“We don’t know yet (if she is injured), so we’ll see what happens. We preferred to play safe and for her not to do the dismount on bars, just to take care," said Francisco Porath of Saraiva.

For her part, Andrade closed out her competition in style. She soared between the bars with ease and stuck her full-twisting, double back dismount and scored 14.666, third best so far in qualifying.

Men's competition gets underway Monday (31 October) with six qualifying subdivisions.