The agony on the quest for ecstasy! Images reveal Olympic gymnasts’ VERY pained expressions as they fling their bodies through the air while pulling off incredible acrobatic tricks
- Images from Thursday’s women’s all-around final capture the grit and determination required of the gymnasts while performing their routines
- Photos from the vault, uneven bars, beam, and floor exercise rotations show many of the athletes’ faces being manipulated by the sheer force of their movement
- Others see their brows furrowed in concentration as they aim to land their skills without wobbling or falling
- US gymnast Sunisa Lee, 18, claimed the gold in the final, after her teammate Simone Biles, 24, dropped out of contention amid ongoing struggles with her mental health
- Brazilian athlete Rebeca Andrade, 22, finished in second place, while Russia’s Angelina Melnikova, 21, clinched the bronze medal in a closely-fought race
- Find out the latest Tokyo Olympic news including schedule, medal table and results right here
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Gymnastics is arguably one of the most impressive and entertaining sports on display at the Olympics, with the athletes delighting spectators with risky flips and tumbles that see them rocketing their bodies into the air – but while the risky maneuvers may look elegant in real-time, images of the athletes’ expressions demonstrate the incredible grit and determination that goes into each one.
Photos captured during Thursday’s women’s all-around final reveal the incredibly pained and furrowed faces behind each twist and turn, with stars like US gymnast Sunisa Lee, 18, and Russian athlete Angelina Melnikova, 21, making all manner of amusing expressions.
A total of 24 athletes vied for a podium finish during the very close contest at the Ariake arena in Tokyo, where they rotated through a total of four events, vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise, all of which resulted in dozens of picture-perfect faces.
In one particularly striking image, Lee, who stormed to victory in the all-around after her teammate Simone Biles, 24, withdrew from the competition, is seen grimacing down at the uneven bars while soaring through the air, having just performed a near-perfect skill on the apparatus.
Meanwhile Brazilian silver medalist Rebeca Andrade, 22, made an out-of-this world face while flinging herself into the air during a particularly complex skill on the floor.
Here, FEMAIL rounds up some of the best mid-air images from the hotly-contested final…
Concentration: Images from the Olympic all-around final on Thursday reveal the very pained expressions that many of the gymnasts were wearing while pulling off their daring routines, including newly-crowned champion Sunisa Lee, 18
Easy breezy? While the talented athletes, like silver medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, make their moves look incredibly elegant and effortless, a closer glimpse at their faces reveal the incredible effort behind each skill
Forceful: Many of the women’s faces are manipulated into strange expressions by the sheer force of their bodies moving through the air at top speeds (Russia’s Angelina Melnikova is pictured)
Catching flies? British star Jennifer Gadirova, 16, appeared to let out a yell as she executed her dismount on the uneven bars
Up in the air: German gymnast Elisabeth Seitz, who finished in ninth place, appeared as though she was in pain as she hurtled through the air during a tumbling pass on the floor
A moment in time: While the gymnasts faces appear almost as a blur during the competition, such is the speed of their skills, images of the routines reveal a very different view of athletes like Germany’s Kim Bui (left) and Xijing Tang of China (right)
Flippin’ amazing! During each of their routines gymnasts like Russian athlete Vladislava Urazova twist their bodies into the air, often rotating several times before landing on the ground, beam, or bars
Under pressure: The sheer force of the movement often results in very amusing expressions, as demonstrated by Japan’s Mai Murakami (left) and French athlete Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (right)
Focus: Belgian star Nina Derwael is seen training her eyes on the uneven bars while executing an aerial skill, ensuring that she knew exactly where she needed to position herself in order to touch down without a fall
