In the team competition, each gymnast performed two vaults however, only the higher score of the two vaults was counted. Phelps led the team off, followed by Chow, Miller, and Dawes, all with strong showings. With a narrow lead, Moceanu vaulted next, needing a 9.430 to secure the gold medal. On both of Moceanu's attempts, she was severely under-rotated and fell backwards onto the mat. She earned only a 9.200 which was not enough to clinch the gold medal as Russia was still performing on floor and could theoretically score as high as 10.00. In hindsight, it is known that Moceanu's 9.200 was in fact enough for the United States to win gold, however, they didn't know this with certainty at the time.