Women gymnasts restore U.S. glitter
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Women gymnasts restore U.S. glitter
This is how Liukin put her stamp on the Olympics and her sport.
The Russian-born American gymnast won her fifth Olympic medal Tuesday. She earned a silver on balance beam behind teammate Shawn Johnson, 16, who won her first gold medal of these Games.
The 5-foot-3 Liukin, 18, won one gold medal here, the one that counts most for gymnasts — the all-around title — against the favored Johnson. Liukin's silver on beam, silver on uneven bars by way of a razor-thin defeat, and a surprising bronze-medal performance in floor exercise in the last three days captivated audiences at the National Indoor Stadium.
The 1-2 punch she and Johnson, 4-foot-9, delivered throughout these Games makes a case for this U.S. women's gymnastics team to go down as the best ever.
"I'd have to say that's a true statement," said NBC analyst Elfie Schlegel, a former gymnast for Canada who is covering her seventh Summer Olympics.
The U.S. didn't win team gold as the Magnificent Seven did in Atlanta 12 years ago, instead earning silver against host China. Yet overall this team won eight medals, tying the 1984 team silver-medal winners. The 1996 team won four.
Liukin has secured a legacy at least alongside the sport's most famous American gymnasts — Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller. Liukin tied them for most medals by an American gymnast.
Liukin's place in history could reach well beyond theirs, however, on an international scale. She has distinguished herself as a supreme artist and gymnast, rare in a sport that over the years has become more dependent on dynamic tumbling than refined execution.
"Nastia is in a class of her own," Schlegel said. "That beauty, that combination of what she has is so special. I think there are going to be a greater number of people, especially in Europe, that will remember Nastia Liukin as a great Olympic champion.
"A lot of the European judges kind of looked at her and said, 'Ah, OK, I remember when."'
Liukin is a throwback to a time when Olympic champions incorporated almost as much dance as acrobatics. Her achievements put a spotlight on the beauty of her sport, rather than the confusing new scoring system that eliminated the perfect 10. She also cast aside, at least briefly, an ugly controversy that threatens to mar gymnastics.
The storming debate about whether three Chinese gymnasts are underage cast a shadow on China's victory in the team finals and on He Kexin's gold medal finish on uneven bars. The International Gymnastics Federation president, Bruno Grandi, repeatedly has said China's He, Yang Yilin and Jiang Yuyuan meet the minimum age requirement of 16 based on their passports. The New York Times and Associated Press have found contradicting evidence showing the gymnasts are younger.
Recent comments
It does not surprise me that something like this, Alicia being denied…
AL | Aug. 20, 2008 at 10:41 p.m.
Yes, Alicia was denied a medal that she obviously should have won…
Anti-PC Infidel | Aug. 20, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Can anyone tell me was there some kind of controversy with an American…
What Happened? | Aug. 20, 2008 at 4:19 p.m.
