The American women wowed at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo -- hitting all routines and ending up ahead of defending champ Russia by more than four points.
It was a dominant performance, made all the more impressive by the fact that the team had lost two key gymnasts -- captain Alicia Sacramone and bar specialist Anna Li -- in the days before prelims. Without time to fly in the second alternate Shawn Johnson, the squad competed with only five gymnasts in prelims and finals.
Even with only one worlds veteran competing, the team excelled, starting off on vault with Alexandra Raisman's Yurchenko double (14.95), and then upping the ante with Amanars from Jordyn Wieber (15.833) and McKayla Maroney (16.033). Maroney's score was the only one that topped 16 all night.
On bars, Russia was led by Viktoria Komova's 15.566 for a gorgeous set that included a layout Jaeger and a Shaposhnikova-half. The Americans (Sabrina Vega, Wieber, and Gabrielle Douglas) all hit cleanly, but Russia had narrowed the gap slightly.
