Your guide to watching women's gymnastics at the Rio Olympics

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:15 p.m. ET

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Allyssa Lee

With the women’s gymnastics competition set to begin on Sunday in Rio, here’s what you need to know before watching this popular Olympic event.

The name to watch. The 19-year-old from Ohio has won four straight national championships and three consecutive world all-around titles. Biles doesn’t just beat the competition, she dominates it by a wide margin. Mary Lou Retton has called her the best she’s ever seen.

Not only is the all-around gold medal hers to lose, but Biles is also the favorite to win the floor exercise and the beam as well. Though really, the 4-foot-9 powerhouse has the potential to walk away with six gold medals overall in Rio.

Don't count out Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman — the two holdovers from the Fierce Five U.S. team that won gold in London in 2012. Douglas, as we all know, also won the all-around title in 2012, and finished second to Biles at the worlds in 2015. Raisman, who won individual gold in the floor exercise in 2012, just missed out on an all-around medal in London. But really, the all-around title is Biles’ to lose.

There's a great depth of talent among the American women. Along with Biles, Douglas and Raisman, the team is rounded out by Madison Kocian, world champion in the uneven bars, and 16-year-old Laurie Hernandez, an all-around powerhouse who finished third in the national competition and is a favorite of …

Marta, Marta, Marta

Certainly, you don’t want to see this after a routine:

A neck embrace, on the other hand, may be the greatest blessing of all.

The moves

Gymnasts who are the first to execute a particular pass or move in competition often get the moves named after them. Simone Biles, for instance, is known for doing a tumbling pass that consists of a back handspring double-layout with a half-twist (meaning she lands blind) during her floor exercise routine that is now known as "The Biles."

Look out for "The Dick"

Similar to the Biles, 19-year-old Trinidad and Tobago gymnast Marisa Dick has her own balance beam mount that has been officially recognized into the official gymnastics rule book:

The judging

Artistic gymnastics did away with the perfect 10 scale and incorporated a more convoluted system starting in 2006. Now, there's a start value based on a routine's degree of difficulty (somewhere between 14 and 17, usually, for elite gymnasts). Then nine judges then deduct based on difficulty and technical quality of movement and artistic composition and execution.

Clear as mud? Good. Enjoy the show.

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