25-Nov-2005    Melbourne / Australia  
  Women's All-around: Memmel in front of Liukin!


Victory Ceremony women's all-around: Memmel in front of Liukin and Russo
 It was an extremely narrow decision at the 29th World Championships in women’s artistic gymnastics. Chellsie Memmel from the USA won the all-around final with the score of 37.824 in front of her team mate Nastia Liukin who received 37.823 points. Only one thousandth of a point lies between the overall scores of the two gymnasts!
Also the hosts from Australia can be happy with the result of this all-around - Monette Russo secured herself the bronze medal with the score of 37.298. Following on the ranks behind her: 4th Tweddle (GBR) 36.936, 5th Le Pennec (FRA) 36.674, 6th Leonida (ROM) 36.475 and 7th Pavlova (RUS) 36.387.
With 35.712 points Germany’s Daria Bijak ended up on an excellent 8th rank.
 
Chellsie Memmel – powerful towards the victory
 
1st rotation
The group of favourites with Russo, Memmel, Liukin, Zamolodchikova, Severino and Tewddle started with strong performances on vault. ”Zamo” underlined her ambitions for a medal and ended up on rank 2 after this first rotation with her score of 9.350.
Following narrowly behind her was Chellsie Memmel from the USA, the leading gymnast in the qualification, who is one of the top favourites on the all-around gold medal today.
In the lead after this first rotation was the uneven bars gold medalist from Athens 2004 Emilie Le Pennec from France with 9.512 on her specialist apparatus.
One of the fans’ favourites and also a strong contender for a medal today Nastia Liukin (USA) could be found on rank 7 after the first rotation – however, the difference to the leading gymnasts was only very small.
Also Daniele Hypolito (BRA) with 9.225 on beam (rank 4), Suzanne Harmes (NED) with 9.125 on uneven bars (rank 8) and Germany’s Daria Bijak with 8.825 on uneven bars had quite a good start into this all-around final.
  
Isabelle Severino (FRA), with 25 years the oldest gymnast in today’s field, didn’t have her best day today and ended up on rank 21
 

Great Britain’s Elisabeth Tweddle with a remarkable performance on her specialist apparatus		   2nd rotation
Chellsie Memmel started this rotation with an excellent and dynamic routine on uneven bars. She stuck her full-in dismount and received the score of 9.537.
With a fall and an overall not convincing performance on beam Emilie Le Pennec couldn’t hold her top position – 8.725.
Nastia Liukin presented herself elegant and perfect on uneven bars, a beautiful routine with a perfectly stuck double somersault dismount – 9.587 and it was obvious that today’s event would be an exciting duel between the two US gymnasts!
Then a fall, literally and figuratively, of one of the favourites could be seen: Elena Zamolodchikova fell from the bars on her Jaeger – and gone were her chances for a medal.
 
Daniele Hypolito followed with a solid, although not perfect, performance on floor which brought her the score of 9.000.
With the score of only 7.350 after two falls on uneven bars, an apparatus which she ususally handles very well, the 25- year- old Isabelle Severino from France lost all chances on a front position in this all-around final.
In contrast to her, Elisabeth Tweddle (GBR) presented a great routine on her best apparatus uneven bars. With a lot of power, 3 flight elements and a stuck dismount she reached the score of 9.512.
The ranking at half-time was Memmel in front of Liukin and Tweddle. Following behind them were Russo (AUS), LePennec, Hypolito, Leonida and Pavlova .

3rd rotation
Nastia Liukin presented her difficult beam routine elegant and safe (9.587).
After her mistakes on beam Emilie Le Pennec climbed up the ranks again with a good routine on floor, a step to secure the landing of her double somersault bw. piked but a good triple twist in the end.
Daria Bijak presented an expressive and strongly performed floor routine, one slight step out of bounds but apart from that a solid performance!
The home crowds were happy about Monette Russo’s (AUS) performance on beam. She showed her difficult jumps high and safe and stuck her double somersault dismount – With this routine she remained in the race for a medal!
Chellsie Memmel followed with a strong and difficult routine on beam. However, it lacked a bit of elegance... She presented all the difficulties perfectly, but the perfect execution in the details was missing. She received the score of 9.425 - and Liukin managed to get ahead of her in this rotation.
Russia’s Anna Pavlova presented a not perfect but quite convincing performance on floor which however only brought her the score of 9.075.
In front of the last rotation Liukin was in the lead in front of Memmel, Russo, Le Pennec, Tweddle, Leonida and Pavlova. 		 


Australia’s Monette Russo received a lot of cheers from her home crowds 		  4th rotation
Daria Bijak ended this all-around with a smile on her face – 9.112 for her handspring – front layout on vault – a great ending for her competition today!
The battle for the bronze medal went on between Elisabeth Tweddle (GBR) and Monette Russo (AUS). In the end the Australian audience could celebrate the bronze medal for Russo (source: "The Age") who ended her floor routine with a stuck double somersault bw. piked and the score of 9.387!
The decision for the victory was made between the two US gymnasts. Chellsie Memmel powered through her highly difficult floor routine including an arabian, double layout, piked full-in and a double somersault bw. piked. However, also here on floor the routine lacked a bit of perfection in the details – 9.537.
Then it was up to Nastia Liukin. She showed a very elegant and beautiful floor routine and also presented all the difficulties, especially the twists, very well – 9.512.
However, she lost the battle for the gold medal by one thousandth of a point! Never before at World Championships in women’s artistic gymnastics there has been such a narrow decision for the title…!

Nastia Liukin – successful daughter of famous parents
The highly talented 16-year old Nastia is the daughter of famous parents and presented in her performances today as well the gymnastics- expertise of her father, who also is her coach, as also the elegance of her mother, a former rhythmic gymnast. Her mother Anna Kochneva was World Champion in rhythmic gymnastics in 1987 and thrilled the audience not only due to her great sportive performances, elegance and beauty but also due to her charm and intelligence. Journalists spontaneously applauded during a press conference where she presented her own enthusiasm for her sports with humor and know-how.
Father Valeri was the first gymnast who presented a triple somersault on floor – at that point of time a sensation and still today only rarely presented.
All this is obviously the best background for Nastia, who nonetheless already today is far more than only the daughter of her famous parents and almost became World Champion today. 		 
Nastia Liukin with father Valeri


  Following behind the medalists were: 4th Tweddle (GBR) 36.936, 5th Le Pennec (FRA) 36.674, 6th Leonida (ROM) 36.475 and 7th Pavlova (RUS) 36.387. Daria Bijak (GER) ended up on an excellent 8th position, behind her Danile Hypolito on rank 9 – a mistake on vault cost her a better overall position today. On the 10th place Suzanne Harmes (NED) who also could have reached a better position today but made mistakes on beam. Remarkable also the performance of Melanie Marti from Switzerland who presented an excellent routine on uneven bars (9.387) and ended up on rank 12 (35.361)!

 


World Champion Chellsie Memmel with her father 		 

Comments after the women’s all-around final

Chellsie Memmel (USA): I’m very happy but I still haven’t really realised it. Inredible!

Nastia Liukin (USA): I’m feeling great. I’ve worked very hard and it’s great that I now have won the silver medal. The whole training was worth it. My vault wasn’t optimal, I made a small step. I can do that better.

Monette Russo (Australia): I’m feeling enthusiastic and am very proud on me. All the hard work has paid off. I love the mood in the venue. The audience has helped me a lot.

Beth Tweddle (Great Britain): It’s a good feeling to have reached the 4th place! If my coach had told me that before the competition, I wouldn’t have believed it. I’m really happy about this 4th place, I don’t know what to say about it.

Daria Bijak (Germany): A dream has become true. I never would have believed to reach a place among the top 10 of the World. Everything went perfect, even though I crushed my finger on my bars dismount. But the physical therapist worked very well and I almost didn’t have any problems with it anymore afterwards during the rest of the competition.

 


 

Expert comments regarding the women’s all-around final

The women showed at these World Championships in Melbourne that all-arounds can still be highlights. Also not without mistakes – but nonetheless they presented an all-around final with great gymnastics and an exciting atmosphere.

In the first rotation the favourites started on vault. All reached scores around 9.15 – except for Memmel 9.25 and Zamolochikova 9.35. Le Pennec presented her great program on uneven bars (including the combination jumped giant 1/1 turn – Deff and a double-double dismount) without mistakes – 9.512 and with this she took the lead.
Central Europe could be happy about quite solid performances by Bijak on bars (8.825) and Marti on floor (8.862). The first impression of this all-around final is better compared to the men’s one. However, the only really extraordinary performance in the first rotation could be seen by Le Pennec on uneven bars.

In the second rotation the leading gymnasts competed on uneven bars, Memmel with a very difficult routine – and a well-deserved high score of 9.537. Nastia Liukin, with a techically great performance, 9.587 – even better than in the qualification. Tweddle followed with also a great performance on her best apparatus, 9.512 and at that point of time the 3rd rank for her. Russo showed a good routine on uneven bars, although with some slight technical insecurities, 9.362.

The contenders for a medal then competed on beam in the third rotation where maybe the decision could have been already made. Nastia Liukin with a very strong performance, again with an even better one than in the qualification. With the score of 9.587 she took the lead after this rotation. Zamolodchikova with three insecurities during her routine, 8.350, and also Tweddle with problems on this apparatus – “only” 8.737. The 9.362 for Russo and 9.425 for Memmel after solid performances brought them closer to winning a medal, or even more since a very strong routine of Memmel on floor could be expected.
Bijak with a powerful routine on floor. Unfortunately she slightly steppeed out of bounds after her double somersault fw. tucked – somersault fw. tucked in the beginning. Nonetheless it was a good routine and brought her the score of 8.900. Melanie Marti from Switzerland showed a great routine on uneven bars, 9.387 and at that point of time the 8th place.

The final in the last rotation couldn’t have been more exciting since Memmel and Liukin competed at the very end of it! Before them Russo made two slight mistakes, nonetheless 9.387 which secured her the bronze medal. Tweddle received the great score of 9.525 for a great floor routine, she ended up on rank 4, just narrowly behind Monette Russo.
Then it came to the decision for the victory in this all-around final and two excellent performances were presented! This ended in a situation which never before has been seen. Chellsie Memmel became World Champion with just one thousandth of a point ahead of Nastia Liukin! A result which can be accepted, but which could also have been seen differently. Father Valeri was happy about his daughter in his own modest way for which he already is known.

Good results also for the central European competitors - Daria Bijak ended up on rank 8, Suzanne Harmes became 10th and Melanie Marti reached rank 12. Also the Polish team can be happy. Although maybe not everything went well for them today - but after all they had 2 gymnasts in this all-around final.


It was also a surprise, that the two qualified Chinese gymnasts, Zhang Nan and Zhang, Yufei were withdrawn at the final. >> CHINA DAILY explained...)

For GYMmedia from Melbourne: Dieter Hofmann (SUI) and Hans Teklenburg (NED)
translation: Lisa Worthmann
 
Zurück