LONDON -- The story of Gabby Douglas just keeps getting better. Douglas had yet another fantastic meet in the all-around finals, earning an enormous 62.232 to win gold over Russia's Viktoria Komova (61.973).
It was a thrilling competition that came down to the wire: Komova and Douglas both went on floor as their last event, and both hit cold. Douglas performed with an energy and spunk that had the entire arena clapping and screaming. Komova's set was balletic and gorgeously-done as well, but in the end, Douglas held onto the small lead she carried into the final rotation. When the final results were posted, Douglas jumped back onto the podium for a curtain call, waving to the crowd and pointing to her family, who was cheering and waving American flags in the stands.
The bronze medal went to 2010 world all-around champ Aliya Mustafina, who had the highest score of the day on bars (16.100), but fell on an Arabian on beam. Mustafina tied American Aly Raisman in the all-around standings (59.566), but received the lone bronze medal. The tie was broken by eliminating the lowest score and taking the highest combined total of the other three scores (Mustafina had 45.933; Raisman 45.366).
I, for one, think we need to get rid of tie-breakers altogether. Raisman deserved a bronze today as well. It's yet another one of gymnastics' arbitrary rules that cause needless heartache for the gymnasts. (Topping my list is the two-per-country rule.)
Still, it was a great day for US and Russian gymnastics. The top two countries in the world came out on top again, and Douglas becomes the third American Olympic all-around champion in a row. (2008: Nastia Liukin; 2004: Carly Patterson).
Comments
They didn’t eliminate the tie-breaker rules, they simplified them so that under extreme cases there could be a tie. Here is a link to more info–>http://aol.sportingnews.com/olympics/story/2012-06-19/london-olympics-2012-new-gymnastics-tie-break-rules-allow-shared-metals
When there is a tie, the gimnastic that has the highest score in one of the disciplines.
Congratulations to Gabby!!
But I still say Aly Raisman got shafted on the tiebreaker!
And not because she is my favorite gymnast of the American team, either.
I’m also bummed about McKayla Maroney’s fall on her second vault, thus losing the vault event gold.
Boy, she looked so great during the team final, that it actually brought me to tears (and it takes a LOT to yank a tear out of me!!).
I’m also disappointed that Canada’s, Dominique Pegg, didn’t qualify for any of the events. I was really cheering for her!
Ya know, I think if they were awarding medals to the teams that had the most awful looking jackets, the Russians would win the team gold medal, hands down!! Sheesh!
#whatweretheythinking?
Wow, HUGE congratulations to Aly Raisman on winning her gold on floor, and her bronze on beam today. I must say that the gold looked a LOT better on her than the bronze did. Just something about gold that brings out the BIGGER smiles in people.
Of course, she would’ve looked considerably better, regardless, if she had been wearing a red, white and blue jacket. What was Nike thinking when they decided on going with those goofy gray jackets? The athletes look like they’re about to be launched into lunar orbit or something!
Can you say “E.T., PHONE HOME” boys and girls? Sure, I knew you could.
Not only was I very disappointed that Jordyn Wieber didn’t make the All-Around finals, but she also didn’t win silver or bronze on her only event final, on floor. This just hasn’t been her year. Well, at least, she did win the team gold. And there were four gymnasts on the 2008 Olympic team that would have been ecstatic with even just that (not to mention, a whole bunch more from the previous Olympics, save 1996)!