U.S. gymnasts settle for silver
Sacramone loses her footing and drops to the ground after mounting the beam. (AP)
By Emily Ngo
emily.ngo@am-ny.com
An injury-stricken U.S. gymnastics team endured four rotations of disappointment last night, conceding Olympic gold to defending China. Sloppiness led the women’s success to depend on mistakes made by the Chinese, and unfortunately, those were few.
Veteran gymnast Alicia Sacramone botched her mount on the beam and failed to shake the shock during her floor routine, landing on her backside after an Arabian double pike. Sacramone, 20, competes again in the individual finals, but her errors likely cost the Americans the team gold. The six women took the silver stand with grim smiles.
Joining Sacramone in the all-around will be Nastia Liukin, whose father is an Olympic gold medalist, and Shawn Johnson, whose impish charm and consistency have cemented her as the team’s face. In yesterday’s final, 18-year-old Liukin posted an event high 16.900 on the uneven bars with flawless one-armed Onos. Johnson, 16, shone brightest on the beam and nailed all her passes.
The Olympics have ended for the remaining members of the gymnastics team: Samantha Peszak, sidelined at the team finals with a sprained ankle; Bridget Sloan, who delivered a solid vault; and Chellsie Memmel, whose ankle injury limited her to the uneven bars.
Liukin and Johnson are expected to battle it out for the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in the all-around, taking full advantage of the new scoring system.
