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Six is enough Russian Nemov wins his sixth medal of Games
SYDNEY, Australia (CNNSI.com) -- Russia's Alexei Nemov won medal No. 6 Monday, capturing the gold medal on the high bars. It is the second-straight Olympics that Nemov has won six medals. Spain's Gervasio Deferr scored a 9.712, more than a point higher than everyone else, to win the vault title. Nemov also won a bronze on the parallel bars, adding to a collection including a silver on the floor and bronzes in the horse and team competitions. "I came to the Olympic Games hoping that I should try to win at least one medal, any medal," said Nemov, who was inspired by the newborn son he has yet to see. "I didn't not expect to perform so well," he said. "Everything went my way."
Russians won four of the 10 apparatus finals. Yelena Zamolodchikova won her second Monday, taking the floor exercises with an energetic routine that had the audience rocking. Teammate Svetlana Khorkina added a silver to the gold she won on the uneven bars Sunday, when Zamolodchikova won the vault. Benjamin Varonian of France had the same score high-bar score as Nemov, a 9.787, but he won the silver on a tiebreaker. Each gymnast throws out one score, and the score Nemov threw out was higher than Varonian's. "I am satisfied with my silver medal," Varonian said. Lee Joo-Hyung of South Korea won the bronze. He also won silver on the parallel bars. China also won two golds - Liu Xuan's on the balance beam and Li Xiaopeng's on the parallel bars. Liu was awarded 9.825 points. Two Russians came next. Yekaterina Lobazniouk took the silver with 9.787 and Yelena Prodounova the bronze with 9.775. It was China's first gold on the balance beam and a personal triumph for Liu. Liu's mother was a high-caliber gymnast, but had to stop during the Cultural Revolution that convulsed China in the 1970s and '80s. "It's possible I realized her dream," Liu said. Nemov more than realized his dream. After he finished his high bar routine, he stood on the podium for a few minutes, saluting the adoring crowd. He smiled and waved as the fans cheered. At 24, he's not sure if he's got another Olympics in him. "I must take some time off. I'm not made of steel, I'm not a robot," Nemov said. "Then we'll launch into a new cycle, and we'll see." Li matched Liu's 9.825 in winning on the parallel bars, and South Korea's Lee took the silver with 9.812. Nemov scored 9.800. In the floor exercises, Zamolodchikova beat Khorkina 9.850 to 9.812. Romania's Simona Amanar won the bronze with 9.712, adding to her gold from the team competition and silver from the all-around. The vault has been the scourge of these games, possibly costing Russia's Khorkina a gold medal in the women's all-around when it was set two inches (5 centimeters) too low. And it almost looked as if something was amiss Monday. There were so many slips, slides and sit-downs it looked like a practice session. Bondarenko was the first to land a vault semi-cleanly, needing only a small step on the landing of his second attempt. Deferr had never won an international competition but he looked like an old pro Monday. He soared high over the vault, twisting and turning, and then slammed into the mat, his feet as solid as if they were stuck in cement. He knew he'd done well even before his score flashed, pumping his fist at the crowd as his coaches jumped up and down. He had to wait out four more competitors, but no one even came close. Alexei Bondarenko of Russia took the silver and Leszek Blanik of Poland won gold. For the first time since 1972 -- not counting the boycotted 1980
Olympics in Moscow - the United States was shut out of gymnastics
medals. In the team event, the women finished fourth and the men
fifth, and no one won any individual medals.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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