China team gains the highest place on the podium. (Photo credit: Xinhua)Photo
(BEIJING, August 13) -- China made history today by winning its first
Olympic gold medal in the Team event of Women's Gymnastics. China won the gold
medal with a total of 188.900 points.
The United States won the silver medal with a total of 186.525 points and
Romania won the bronze with a total of 181.525 points.
China entered the Team final as favorites, but it was pushed all the way by a
determined United States. The two sides' first rotation was the Vault, with the
United States taking a slender lead.
The second rotation for China and the United States was the Uneven Bars,
which is regarded as China's specialty. China did not disappoint, gaining the
lead with a dominant display on the apparatus.
He Kexin and Yang Yilin were outstanding in the Uneven Bars, scoring 16.850
and 16.800 respectively. Despite the best efforts of the United States' Nastia
Liukin, who scored 16.900, the United States could not overcome China's
dominance of the apparatus.
China's
Cheng Fei on the beam. (Photo credit: Xinhua)
The United States gained slightly more points than China in the Balance Beam,
a rotation that was marked by the mistakes of the United States' Alicia
Sacramone and China's Cheng Fei. Sacramone was clearly affected by her mistake
and also performed poorly in the next rotation, the Floor Exercise.
The United States could not afford to make any mistakes against a disciplined
Chinese side. China's Li Shanshan improved her country's chances of winning the
gold medal by scoring 16.050 in the Balance Beam. This was an individual score
that even the elegant Liukin could not match.
China's most experienced campaigner Cheng Fei sealed the victory with a solid
performance in the Floor exercise.
Romania surprised Russia by winning the bronze medal. Romania performed well
in the Floor Exercise, with only China receiving a higher score. Russia scored
poorly in the Balance Beam and finished with a total score of 180.625.
The fifth to eighth places in the Team final were taken by Japan, Australia,
France and Brazil.
