Romania caps medal haul with floor gold
Romania added three more medals to its impressive haul at the gymnastics world championships on Saturday, as newcomer Andreea Raducan outshone a star-studded lineup on the floor to win gold on the final day.
...The real drama was on the floor, where Raducan, 16, upstaged veteran teammate Simona Amanar, and 1997 all-round world champion Svetlana Khorkina of Russia, to take the gold with 9.837.
"It's unbelievable," said Raducan, who also won the silver medal on the beam. "But I like being a star. I am just at the start of my career, and I hope to get better and better."
Khorkina was not at her best in a lilting Latin routine, but took the lead early on with 9.787 until Raducan nudged her into second place.
Last up was Amanar, whose 9.8 was enough to take the silver, leaving the lanky Khorkina with bronze. Amanar and Raducan's medals took Romania's tally to eight, including the women's team and individual all-round golds.
"This competition was unique," said Romanian coach Octavian Bellu. "These gymnasts now have to work very hard to be the same in Sydney (at the Olympics) next year."
On the beam, Ling Jie's 9.775 proved too much for teammate Dong Fangxiao and all-round champion Maria Olaru of Romania.
Raducan, last up on the beam, came close, but a slight wobble cost her the title. She took silver with 9.762 and Olga Raschoupkina of Ukraine won the bronze with 9.737.
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