Asia fails a medal in Women Gymnastics All-Around Final OG 2012
An exhilarating and exuberant performance from Gabrielle Douglas made her a thoroughly popular all-around champion here on Thursday and ensured that the USA would have their third consecutive Olympic champion in the blue riband event of women’s gymnastics. Douglas prevailed in a tight contest with the Russian favourite, Viktoria Komova, which came down to the very final floor routine.
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, was apparently here to see Komova, who had been the highest qualifier for the competition. She looked miserable after her first piece, stepping off the landing strip as she landed her vault, and stalking away grimly. But a huge 15.966 score on bars, the apparatus in which she holds European and world titles, put her back in contention – and will certainly give Beth Tweddle something to think about come the apparatus final.
The battle for bronze between Raisman and Mustafina was so close it ended in a tied score – Mustafina won out because her best scores were higher and the Russians could take some comfort from the fact that they outnumbered the US on the podium. Just not much.
The best Chinese DENG Linlin and HUANG Qiushuang was respectively 6th and 7th rank, the Japanese TERAMOTO Asuka 11th and TANAKA Rie 16th place.
Results
