OLYMPICS/ Team china
US overtake China to take team gold
(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-09-06 03:58
STUTTGART, Germany - The United States dazzled on the floor and vault to win the women's team gold at the world gymnastics championships on Wednesday.
Xiao Sha of China performs a jump on the balance beam during the women's team final at the 40th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart September 5, 2007. [Reuters]
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Defending champions China paid for their errors to finish second, 0.950 behind the Americans' winning total of 184.400.
Romania grabbed bronze after Russia, who had comfortably held third place before the final apparatus, saw their chances evaporate when Ekaterina Kramarenko mistimed her run-up, did not complete her vault and scored zero.
Kramarenko's botched effort dropped a tearful Russia to last in the eight-team final.
With hugs and cheers the United States celebrated regaining the crown they had lost to China last year.
"It's such a great feeling to know we're on top again," said Nastia Liukin, who scored the day's best score on the asymmetric bars.
China got off to a bad start when Cheng Fei, vault champion for the past two years, landed on her bottom with her legs outstretched after her vault.
By contrast, the Americans nailed their landings and then extended their lead on the asymmetric bars where Liukin delighted the crowd with a complex series of releases and handstands to earn a 16.375.
MESSED UP
Things got shaky on the balance beam for the Americans when Liukin messed up her dismount and Shawn Johnson fell off, sending them onto the final apparatus trailing China by 0.100.
When China's Li Shanshan fell out of the area on the floor exercise, the Americans knew the gold was theirs as long as they could avoid any mishaps on the same apparatus.
Shayla Worley, Alicia Sacramone and Johnson's exciting tumbling combinations and graceful jumps clinched the title.
"I never thought it was too late. I knew that when we got on floor we'd make up for it (the beam problems)," Worley said.
As next year's Olympic hosts, China had been hoping to secure their place as the world's best before the Games but coach Lu Shanzhen took the disappointment in his stride.
"It is a competition, it is normal to win and lose. I can accept it," he told a news conference.
"I certainly want to win the gold in Beijing but this is competition -- there is only one gold."
Romania were glad of a medal despite some often wobbly efforts.
"I'm very pleased to see the team on the podium again," said Romania coach Nicolae Forminte, whose charges failed to win a team event medal in 2006 for the first time in 25 years.
"They have made a small step and will want to make a bigger step in the future."
Italy were fourth, followed by Brazil, France and Britain, who were competing in their first world team final.
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