Sloan Wins World All-Around Title
American Bridget Sloan became the 2009 world all-around champion today, edging out teammate Rebecca Bross by .05. Japan's Koko Tsurumi was third, .6 behind Bross.
Bross led qualifications, and though all gymnasts start with a clean slate in finals, she was leading Sloan by more than a point coming into the last event, floor. But she fell on her very last skill -- a punch barani from a back 2 1/2 twist -- and ended up second. Bross looked fabulous on the other three events, though, with a stuck (and sky-high) full-in off bars, and an aggressive beam routine that ended with the solid Arabian double front dismount that has sometimes eluded her in past meets.
Sloan, too, looked great, hitting a high Yurchenko double full on vault, a smooth bar routine (piked toe-on Tkatchev), and impressive floor tumbling (piked full-in, front 2 1/2 twist, stuck double pike). Her only weakness was beam, where she had several wobbles throughout.
Tsurumi was also fun to watch, with beautiful expression, form, and presentation in all of her routines. Other medal favorites Yang Yilin (China) and Ksenia Semenova (Russia) placed sixth and 13th, respectively, each with a fall on her best event, bars.
(Pictured above (left to right): Rebecca Bross, Bridget Sloan, and Koko Tsurumi; Clive Rose / Getty Images)
Comments
It has been an entrancing performance,where gymnasts
have proved their worth in consummate skill.
Congratulations to Bridget Sloan on her awesome victory!
Not to detract anything from her win, but I’m just curious as to how well she might have finished had she competed head to head against the rest of her Olympic teammates (Nastia, Shawn, Chellsie, Alicia and Samantha) had they all competed in the All-Around?
Do you truly believe Bridget’s skills would have been strong enough to win the gold against them?
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Just wondering.