Russians top Team USA in women's gymnastics in Olympics qualifying round

The trouble started early. A step out of bounds on floor exercise here. An extra hop on vault there.

Over the course of two hours on Sunday, they kept piling up, chipping away at the aura USA Gymnastics has built over the past decade. Not even the greatest of all time was immune to the realities of a sport where perfection is unattainable. For 11 years, the Americans flirted with it, at least from a competitive standpoint, flying all over the globe, then flying back home with their suitcases stuffed with gold.