Nailing the perfect 10

the book’s surface is the Cold Warstyle binary that has defined women’s gymnastics for the past 40 years. It is difficult to refute the fact that the baton has passed from Russia to the United States — American women have walked away with the last three team titles at Worlds, plus Olympic gold in London — but Ms. Meyers’ deft explanation shows why the Americans have superseded the Russians.

The one area her narrative glosses over is the modern iteration of this East v. West tension, which today exists on racial lines. Biles and Gabby Douglas, the 2012 Olympic All-Around champion, are both African-American in a sport that historically has not seen much success from women of color.

In 2013, Biles won gold on the balance beam at the World championship. After finishing out of medal contention in fifth, Italian Olympian Carlotta Ferlito suggested that “next time we should also paint our skin black so then we can win, too.” Although Ferlito later apologized, a member of the Italian Gymnastics federation attempted to mount a cringeworthy defense before the matter was put to rest.

But other than this omission, Ms. Meyers offers an incredibly thorough yet accessible account of one of the most mystifying aspects of the sport. The publication of “The End of the Perfect 10” provides an opportunity for the casual fan to take a deep dive into gymnastics. While this casual fan still might not be able to notice the mistakes that professional judges do, he or she will undoubtedly be able to distinguish the good from the great.