By Vera Atkinson FIG Editor.

A NEW KHORKHINA HAS ARRIVED- ELEGANCE PREVAILS

Beijing (CHN) NIS FIG Office, August 15, 2008: Nastia Liukin (USA) took the audience to their feet after her final and decisive performance on Floor, to win the 2008 Olympic Women's All-around title on Friday, 15 August 2008 in Beijing, with a score of 63.325. Current World Champion Shawn Johnson, also from the USA, took the Silver medal (62.725), after a no less convincing last performance, to outstrip the Chinese Yang Yinin and leave her with the Bronze (62.650).

Fourth in this outstanding Final was Ksenia Semenova (RUS), 61.925, followed by Steliana Nistor (ROU) in fifth, 61.050; JIANG Yuyuan (CHN) in sixth, 60.900; Anna Pavlova (RUS) in seventh (60.825) and Sandra Isbasa (ROU) in eighth, 60.750.

2007 World All-around silver medallist Nistor topped the current ranking after the first rotation (15.975 A. Bars), while Johnson scored highest on Vault, 15.875.Leader after the second rotation was Yang Yilin 16.725 A. Bars, while Liukin, 16.650 on the same apparatus, moved into second position.

Beam, the third apparatus for the group of gymnasts who had qualified in positions 1-6 in Competition 1, was the turning point in favour of Liukin.
All the hot challengers for the medals stayed as glued to this insidious apparatus: Johnson- 16.050 Pavlova 15.975, Semenova 15.925 and most of all, cold-blooded Liukin, who has never before looked so cool and composed - 16.125. This is where the new Olympic Champion compensated for her relatively 'weak' Vault (15.025, in the first rotation). Thus, before the final apparatus, the Floor, Liukin was leading the field with an 0.150pts advantage over Yang Yilin; the Chinese being 0.450 in front of Johnson and 0.500 in front of Semenova.

The competition on Floor was as a Gala performance highlighted by Liukin's routine choreographed to the music of the popular 'Black Eyes', and Johnson's Samba packed with powerful tumbling.  Both were awarded with 15.525 and Nastia's advantage brought her the title. The 19-year-old from Texas, is the second Olympic Champion in the family.  Her father and coach Valery Liukin is 1988 Olympic Champion on High Bar and Team and Silver medallist in Seoul, while her mother Anna Kochneva is a former World Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics, with Hoop in Varna 1987.  The family moved from Russia to the USA when Nastia was 2 years old. The Liukins run the very successful Gymnastics Academy WOGA in Plano.

Semenova was closest to the challengers for a medal and Nistor showed that Romania is still a force. Anna Pavlova still possesses rare and beautiful qualities but her lack of Difficulty cost her a podium place. However, the gymnast outside the podium who brought the most pleasure to the aficionados in Beijing was Chussovitina (GER)- 9th place all-around at 32-years of age with a total of (60.125) in her fifth Olympic Games- an achievement that could hardly be repeated!

The 2007 World Bronze medallists Jade Barbosa (BRA) and Vanessa Ferarri (ITA) unfortunately committed mistakes and finished the competition in 10th and 11th place respectively.