Setting aside all the is-it-a-sport-or-not arguments, rhythmic gymnastics (the one with the ribbons) delivered some drama with an unexpected finale. The gold medal favorite, Dina Averina of Russia, completed a routine as convoluted as the reason Russia is competing as R.O.C. (for Russian Olympic Committee) at the Olympics instead of its plain old name. She’s the three-time world overall champion, and to make matters even more interesting, her identical twin sister Arina was in the running, too. But Linoy Ashram of Israel, and her hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, would not back down and finished with the highest score (even after dropping the ribbon).

Source: New York Times August 08, 2021 09:00 UTC