by Vera Atkinson FIG Editor.

CHINESE STEAM-ROLLER GOES FORTH WHILE FRANCE CELEBRATES

Beijing (CHN) NIS FIG Office, August 14, 2008: As predicted, Yang Wei (CHN), the All-around Silver medallist from Sydney 2000 and 2006/2007 World Champion, won the Olympic Men's All-around title in another spectacular Final at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, Thus, 14 Aug., 2008 with a score of 94.575.

The 19-year old Japanese Olympic debutant, Kohei Uchimura won the Silver medal (91.975) - an outstanding talent with a strong character, which helped him to achieve success at the end of a competition abundant with unexpected developments. If a surprise has happened in the Olympic Gymnastics tournament in Beijing so far, then its name is Benoît Caranobe (FRA), the 28 -year old twice Olympian of France who took the Bronze (91.925), after qualifiying in 9th place.

The 2005 World Champion Hiroyuki Tomita (JPN) was fourth, 91.750, followed by Sergei Khorokhordin (RUS), fifth, 91.700, as a result of tiebreak with his compatriot Maxim Deviatovski, sixth. Fabian Hambuechen (GER) placed seventh, 91.675 and YANG Taeyoung (KOR) was eight. 91.600. Yang Wei is China's second Olympic All-around Champion, after LI Xiaoshuang, the winner in Atlanta 1996. Wei's winning weapon is a well known 'secret' in the world of Gymnastics. He enters every competition with such a huge advantage in Difficulty (39.7 in the Qualifications), that he has 'a comfortable space' to even allow mistakes.

However, everybody else in this extraordinary Final, but Wei experienced troubles: young Ushimura (JPN) and the hot favourite from Korea Kim Daeeun, were badly 'hit by the Pommel Horse' in the second rotation; Tomita's hand-guards played him a nasty trick on his dismount from the Rings in the third rotation; Dmitry Savitski (BLR) struggled both on P.Bars and High Bar; Fabian Hambuechen was quite disappointed by his Pommel Horse score and even more by the repetition of the fall from the High Bar, as happened in the Qualifications.

The difference between the finals scores of the Silver medallist Uchimura and the Spaniard Raphael Martinez, in 10th place is, is no more than 0.475pts. - A minuscule gap between nine gymnasts who could have won the Silver or the Bronze. Those, whose nerves were strongest cedlebrated!

The last time France celebrated an Olympic medallist in the All-around has been 88 years ago, in 1920 - Antwerp -, when Marcos Torres won the Silver medal, in front of Jean Gounot (bronze).

Highest score seen in the competition - 16.625 Yang Wei on Rings!