Reaching the Bar

Chapter 19

Jennifer's POV

The guys were the second qualifier for the team all-around final, just behind China. Laura and I went and watched most of it and I ran into my family. Chris qualified third for the individual all-around final as well as the finals for the floor, vault, pommel and parallel bars. He would have qualified for horizontal bar but there can only be two per country and Liam and Ethan were above him.

We had all warmed up and waiting in the call room, waiting to be called out. We were all wearing the same leotard. It was mostly dark blue and had red on one sleeve. I had my hair pulled back into a very tight ponytail with blue, red and white ribbons.

We finally got called out. We walked out in a line with Isabella at the front. We started on the floor. We were in sub-division 4. This meant that we were competing at the same time as the Netherlands and two mixed groups, groups made of athletes from countries that don't have a team.

Laura, Isabella and I were going be competing on every apparatus, Kayla on the floor and vault and Claire on the beam and bars.

I was third up on the floor. While Kayla was up on the floor I started to tape my ankle. I had to make it tight as well as not cutting off my circulation. I love my floor routine and I looked forward to stepping up onto the floor.

Kayla and Isabella both had clean routines and I stepped up. I started with a couple of dance elements before I started my first tumbling line. The thing that separates a good floor from a great is the dance bits, other than making a mistake. It is making it entertaining to watch. Most gymnastics are very stone faced when they dance and I try to not to.

I finished on the floor. I was in the splits and then I was leaning forward, resting on my elbows with my chin in my hands. I pretended to look confused. The audience cheered and I waved at them, making sure that I waved where my family would be.

Laura finished on the floor and I was already ready for going up on the bars. I had a score in the 16s for the floor but I knew that it was by best apparatus. I could get a high score on the vault but I can consistently do better on the floor.

I didn't look at how our scores compared to anyone else until we finished and it was what I always did. Our final apparatus was the vault. Kayla was up first and she completely missed the landing. I gathered Isabella and Laura together.

"We have to stick these vaults. Only the top three scores count and we need to make these prefect," I told them.

We didn't need perfect vaults to qualify but we wanted to qualify top. It gives you a mental edge because your competition knows that they have to do better. Laura was up next and she stuck her landing and had a good vault.

Isabella had a really clean vault and she had a high score. I stood at the end of the runway and I chalked by hands. I started my run up and my feet hit the springboard. I got all the twist in and stuck the landing.

I jumped down and hugged my teammates as my score came up. 15.966. We headed into the back and we here at the top of the team scores with only three teams left so we were going to qualify for the final. I didn't look at the individual scores or the apparatus scores before everyone was finished.

We warmed down and headed out into the audience to see the last rotation of the final sub-division and it looked like Japan was the only one likely to qualify. I still had avoided looking at the individual scores.

Everyone had finished and Coach came over to us with an iPad.

"All right so we have the final scores. So since only two people can qualify for the all-around so that will be Jennifer and Laura who finished at the top in that order," he started.

I glanced over at Isabella and I knew that she was devastated. She would have had a good medal chance but she had to beat either me or Laura and we had both beaten her recently.

"Jennifer, you also qualified for the vault, floor and bars," he said.

I was expecting to get scores that were that high for three of the apparatus and qualify for the finals. I thought that I might with into the vault and the floor finals but I was surprised about the bars.

"Laura you qualified for the floor and beam. Isabella, you qualified for the vault and beam as well," Coach finished.

I left the group and headed to my family and the guys. I wrapped my arms around Mom and Nick hugged my legs.

"You are amazing," Nick said.

I lifted him up and hugged my other two brothers. The guys hugged me as I let go of Mom. We headed out of the arena and we started talking about the gymnastics because they had seen all and I had seen one rotation expect my teammates.

We went out for dinner and Mom invited the guys and Laura to come with us and they all took the invitation. We headed to a local restaurant that had seats for the 12 of us. We ordered and I was sitting next to James and Ollie and across from Mason.

I glanced down the table and saw that Liam and Laura were sitting opposite each other at the other end. I leant forward so that I could whisper to Mason.

"We have to hook up Liam and Laura. She admitted that she liked him. Pass it along," I told him.

He turned to Ethan and soon my message was passed to our group of friends. Chris was the last one to get it and he smirked at me. The guys had their team final tomorrow and I knew that they were really excited.

"We should probably be going," I said around nine at night.

"I'm going to see my parents for a while so I'll see you guys later," Chris said and headed out.

His parents were staying nearby and they didn't come to the gymnastics today so he wanted to go see them.

"I can take four of you," Mom added.

We purposely arranged it so that Liam and Laura were the ones left behind.

"I'll come back for you," Mom told them.

"It's alright, we can make it back," Laura said.

Mom dropped us back at the village and we headed upstairs.

"Do you think that it worked?" Ethan asked.

"I don't know, we'll find out tomorrow," I smirked and headed into my room.

I didn't say up much longer. I was tired from the day. My foot had started to ache towards the end so I made sure to put the moonboot on as soon as we finished.

I woke up around seven in the morning to the door of the room opening. Laura snuck in and didn't think that I was awake.

"Walk of shame," I called.

She visibly jumped and turned to glare at me.

"I didn't think that you were awake," she said.

"I was, and where were you last night?" I asked.

"I may or may not have stayed with Liam."

Liam had a room to himself. I'm not completely sure why but I think that it is because his roommate either isn't in Rio or is staying somewhere else.

I hugged her and she laughed.

"Ready for the final tomorrow?" she asked.

"I am, we are going and watching the guys later?"

"Yep, they better win," Laura said.

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The Wise One