US wins women's team gold

STUTTGART, Germany: The United States claimed the first gold of the world gymnastics championships yesterday when they won the women's team title in a drama-filled finale.

Defending champion China had to settle for silver with two-time Olympic champion Romania winning bronze.

The US leads three of the four rotations to score 184.400 points with China achieving 183.450 and Romania 178.100.

China had been leading going into the final rotation - the floor - but saw its title hope fade when its first competitor Li Shanshan fell backwards out of bounds coming out of her final somersault.

The US team which included Alicia Sacramone, Anastasia Liukin, Samantha Peszek, Shawn Johnson, Shayla Worley, reclaimed the title which they won for the first time at home in Anaheim in 2003.

The had to settle for silver last year behind China. Romania, meanwhile, snatched the final podium place from Russia who had been third going into their final rotation - the vault.

But there was heartbreak for the Russians when Ekaterina Kramarenko mistimed her run up to the vault and did not jump.

She earned zero points for the apparatus meaning Russia, last year's bronze medallists, dropped to last position in the eight-team final.

The competition continues today with the men's team final where China is looking to defend their title ahead of Olympic champions Japan.

While the United States banished memories of last year's dismal showing to book a place in the men's team final.

The Americans qualified in fourth place for today's eight-team final after a solid team display that contrasted with last year's error-strewn efforts.

China topped the standings with the 374.275 they achieved on Monday and Olympic champion Japan was 3.550 behind in second.

A noisy home crowd helped Germany snatch third place.

Russia breathed a sigh of relief to take fifth spot after a nightmare qualifying session on Monday when it had to compete for most of the time with two limping gymnasts.

Joining them in the final are Romania, Spain and South Korea.

France, Italy, Canada and Belarus do not go home empty-handed because their top-12 finishes guarantee them places at next year's Olympic Games.

AFP/Agencies

(China Daily 09/06/2007 page23)