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MEMMEL WINS ALL AROUND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLE BY ONE THOUSANDTH OF A POINT!
NASTIA ACHIEVES DREAM RESULTS IN USA 1-2!
A wonderful Championships culminated in a terrific battle for the World Title as the top 24 gymnasts from qualifiers prepared for the biggest competition of their lives in Melbourne today, with an opportunity to create history as an All Around World Champion! Sadly the competition might have been undermined by the absence of several major gymnastics powerhouse nations from the All Around Final with only one qualifier from Romania, only Yelena Zamoldchikova representing Russia, and no-one from the Ukariane! Both Chinese qualifiers were also forced to withdraw from the AA Final due to injuries, and with the decisions by Catalina Ponor, Daiane dos Santos, and the Chinese stars Cheng Fei and Fan Ye not to compete in the All Around, I feared that this may affect the quality of the World Final. But how wrong I was after witnessing a sensational debut on the World stage from Nastia Liukin who only turned 16 last month, and our own Beth Tweddle who achieved the best ever result in an Artistic World Championships from a British gymnast!
The draw meant that the top 6 gymnasts from Qualifiers would compete together, and how proud we were to see Beth included in that elite group after finishing 4th in Qualifiers. As the gymnasts stepped out into a packed arena, the crowd were already chanting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - Oi, Oi, Oi” for their own 17 year old All Around Champion, Monette Russo, who had qualified in 3rd place, and the electric atmosphere brought back fantastic memories from Atlanta.
In the first rotation, the Olympic Champion on Bars Emilie Le Pennec opened on her favourite apparatus to hit a terrific routine for a 9.512 on her favourite apparatus, with the 2000 Olympic Champion on Floor and Vault Elena Zamalodchikova in 2nd place, with the 2003 World Champion and 2004 World Cup winner on A-Bars Chellsie Memmel who were both competing on Vault in 3rd. Zamo and Chellsie opened with Yurchenko Double Twists with a Start Value of 9.8 with Zamo scoring 9.350 and Chellsie 9.325. Next came Daniele Hypolito (BRA) with a very high Beam score of 9.225, followed by three more gymnasts from the Vault group -Monette Russo (AUS) 5th, Beth Tweddle (GBR) 6th, Nastia Liukin (USA) 7th who produced a relatively low score of 9.137 and Suzanne Harmes (NED), who started on A. Bars, 8th.
In Rotation 2, when the elite group performed on A. Bars, Memmel took the lead from Liukin with an 18.862, and our own Beth Tweddle who produced a superb routine including four release and catches including 2 releases from bars in row, the only female gymnast in the World to include this skill. Beth scored a terrific 9.512 echoing her bronze medal performance in Anaheim, as close rival Nastia Liukin produced a superb 9.587 and the highest score on this piece demonstrating wonderful technique and lines. The Australians were on their feet ready to raise the roof as audience darling Monette Russo moved into fourth place and Le Pennec dropped to fifth after falling from Beam. This was to be a key rotation for several of the top competitors as two falls from the Bars ended the challenge of Isabel Severino (FRA), and Zamoldchikova also fell from Bars.
Rotation 3: Beam, always the most testing piece, also tested the nerves of the audience who were on the edge of their seats as Liukin (9.587) took the lead in this Rotation just 0.024 ahead of Memmel and 0.400 ahead of Russo, now delighting the home crowd, moved into third. Lepennec moved into fourth with an excellent Floor routine while Tweddle dropped to fifth after a nervy performance on beam with three wobbles and a hop after the dismount (SV 9.500).The difference between first and eight had now increased to 1.200 and it seemed that only the first five could realistically challenge for the medals.
The draw provided the Championships and the millions of television viewers around the world with a perfect setting. All the leaders were on Floor and in their competition order. Each girl performed to their limit, and the scores reflect the high standard of the tumbling and the artistry. However, the end result will be debated for many years to come. Zamoldchikova produced her new disco routine which enthralled the crowd but divided opinion as to the artistic elements, as the 2000 Olympic Champion on this piece included moon walks and modern disco with great tumbling sequences. It will be fascinating to see how the new Code is interpreted by gymnasts and Coaches as the old Code is used for the last time at these World Championship and the “Perfect 10” disappears. The abiding image of the sport can be traced back to the 1976 Montreal Games when a petite 14-year-old from Romania, Nadia Comaneci, created Olympic history by becoming the first gymnast to score a 10.00 during the women’s team competition
Have we seen a glimpse of the future? Personally I hope not as I much prefer the traditional balletic artistry and grace of floor routines rather than this style, but the debate will continue to rage, as the World Championships All Around Final moved towards a sensational climax!
Beth Tweddle produced an excellent Floor routine for a lifetime best of 9.525 on this piece, and both challengers for the title, Memmel and Liukin performed routines with SV of 10.00. Memmel- rock steady and athletic hit a 9.537, and the last routine of the Championships as Nastia Liukin who was 1st in Qualifiers needed to post a 9.514 to regain the lead and snatch the World All Around Title. She produced a graceful routine with her trademark powerful tumbles including triple twist which was awarded 9.512! Chellsie had scored a total of 37.824 and Liukin- 37.823 a difference of 0.001 between new All Around World Champion and Runner Up and the first USA 1-2 finish in history making it the closest finish since 1985 when Elena Shushonova and Oksana Omelianchik from the Soviet Union tied for the Gold Medal. It is also the first one-two finish for the event since Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina beat Natalia Ziganshina in 2001. 11 years after the back to back victory of Shannon Miller in Birmingham in 1994, Chellsie Memmel is bringing the World All-around crown back to the USA!
But the debate continues. Athleticism versus Artistry? Which direction should gymnastics take?
The Bronze medal of Monette Russo who ironically is now coached by Shannon’s former coach is the first individual medal at World Championships level for Australia and reflects the tremendous progress of Australian women’s gymnastics. It is a fitting reward for the splendid organization of the World Championships. The surprise of the competition has to be Zamoldchikova’s result of 16th place for a gymnast who has achieved so much in her fantastic career and medalled in every major Championships around the World.
1. Chellsie Memmel (USA)- 37.824
2. Nastia Liukin (USA)- 37.823
3. Monette Russo (AUS)- 37.298
4. Beth Tweddle (GBR)- 36.936
5. Emilie Le Pennec (FRA)- 36.674
6. Florica Leonida (ROM)- 36.475
7. Anna Pavlova (RUS)- 36.387
8. Daria Bijak (GER)- 35.712
BETH TWEDDLE ACHIEVES BEST EVER RESULT FOR GB!
Beth Tweddle (GBR), (20) created British Gymnastic’s history as she took the fourth place in the Women’s Individual All-around Final of the World Championships in Melbourne on Friday, 25 November. She smashed the previous highest finish which Holly Murdoch from Gwent achieved when Holly finished in 14th place in the 2001 and has firmly established herself on the world stage having qualified for the All Around plus individual Apparatus Finals on Floor and Bars. Beth’s scores of Vault 9.162, A. Bars 9.512, Beam 8.737, Floor 9.525 gave her an overall score of 36.936, just 0.362 outside a bronze medal in the World Championships All Around Final! The other British gymnast, debutant Shavahn Church who is coached by the legendary Don Peters took the 20th place in the All Around Final with scores of 9.112 on Vault, A. Bars 8.925 Beam 8.112 and 8.062 on Floor.
The President of British Gymnastics Brian Stocks said “We are absolutely over the moon! Two British gymnasts in the World Final - this is fantastic! It is an inspiring success before the Commonwealth Games in March and in view of the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games!” With 16 year old Imogen Cairns also qualifying for the Vault Final, this has already been the most successful Artistic major Championships in British Gymnastics’ history. The last chance for Beth to medal will be on Sunday, 27 November in the Floor Final.
On behalf of British Gymnastics fans, congratulations to Beth, Imogen and Shavahn and of course our European Junior A Bars Champion Rhian Pugh who sadly had to withdraw from Qualifiers after her injury in Podium Training. We are proud of you all !
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