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Cheng leads China to fifth world title
2007-09-09
Cheng Fei became the first gymnast to win three consecutive vault titles as China added three more golds to their haul at the world championships here on Saturday. Cheng achieved the first gold medal by a Chinese woman at the championships as the 2008 Olympic hosts won three of the five gold on offer on the penultimate day of competition, to bring their total to five. Xiao Qin claimed a third straight pommel horse win as Chen Yibing successfully defended his rings title, to add to the men's team title they both won earlier in the week and Yang Wei's all-around gold. Yang failed to add to his medal tally finishing fourth on pommel and sixth on the rings. Cheng however made up for the disappointment of losing her women's team title to the United States by nailing both of her jumps. The 19-year-old from Beijing, who has now five world titles to her name, scored 15.937 as North Korea's Hong Su Jong took silver (15.812) and Alicia Sacramone of the United States bronze (15.412). Sydney Olympic champion Elena Zamolodchikova, the winner in 1999 and 2002, finished last in the eight-woman final after falling badly on her second jump. On the pommel, Xiao, 22, made no mistakes to score 16.300 to finish way ahead of the field. Hungary's Krisztian Berki took silver (15.700) with Louis Smith snatching a bronze for Britain (15.600). And Chen proved he was lord of the rings as the 23-year-old fought off a stiff challenge from former champions Yuri Van Gelder of the Netherlands and Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria. Van Gelder finished second at 0.075 with Jovtchev third at 0.125. The Chinese did not have it all their own way as teenager Ksenia Semenova hit back for Russia with an uneven bars gold, as Brazil's Diego Hypolito claimed his second world gold on floor. "There hasn't been a single other medal for Russia so I tried to get at least one," said the 14-year-old. "Next year will be better. It can't get any worse," she added. Semenova produced an acrobatic display to seal gold with 16.350 points, as US star Anastasia Liukin, the 2005 champion, wobbled on her landing to take silver for the second straight year with 16.300. China's Yang Yilin won bronze (16.150) as defending champion Elizabeth Tweddle of Britain dropped to fourth (16.125). Hypolito, 21, reclaimed the gold he first won in Melbourne in 2005 after being runner-up last year behind Romania's Marian Dragulescu who did not compete because of a back injury. "I'm very happy because this is a world championship before the Olympics," said Hypolito. "It makes me confident the next time I can win." His solid performance earned him 16.150 points with Spain's Gervasio Deferr, runner-up in 1999 and 2002, taking silver with 15.950. Japan's Hisashi Muzutori placed third with 15.650, for his third medal of championships after all-around bronze and team silver. Five more title are on offer on the final day of competition Sunday as China look to match last year's eight gold medals. Cheng and Yang will be looking to defend their floor and parallel bars titles respectively as Li Shanshan carries Chinese hopes on the beam.
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