Romania repeats as women's champions




China easily won its fourth consecutive men's world gymnastics championship Tuesday, while Romania narrowly defended its women's title when Russia's Svetlana Khorkina fell on her final routine.

In women's competition, newcomers Maria Olaru had a 38.749 and Andreea Raducan finished with a 38.567 to lead Romania, which scored a total of 153.527 points to Russia's 153.209.

The Romanians had started on the balance beam, and...ran into trouble, including a fall by 1997 individual silver medalist Simona Amanar.

But they bounced right back in the floor exercises, where their lowest score was a 9.700. Amanar scored 9.812 and Raducan, a 16-year-old who seems to float through her routines, had 9.800.

The top two finishers of 1997 - Khorkina and Amanar - were performing at the same time at the end. Amanar closed with a 9.700 on the uneven bars, and came out ninth among individuals with 38.155. Khorkina was 11th with 37.956.


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