Liukin, Memmel lead way for Americans in world prelims
The next generation of U.S. gymnasts is as good as advertised.
National champion Nastia Liukin and runner-up Chellsie Memmel were 1-2 in the all-around preliminaries at the world gymnastics championships Wednesday, and U.S. gymnasts booked seven spots in the individual event finals.
“It went really well and I’m really excited just to get the first competition finally under our belt,” said Liukin, the daughter of former Soviet Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin and 1987 world rhythmic gymnastics champion Anna Liukin.
And, this being gymnastics, there was another scoring controversy. But the International Gymnastics Federation showed it had perhaps learned from its mistakes at last year’s Athens Olympics, using a new video replay system to correct the error in the preliminaries of the men’s high bar competition.
The Americans didn’t bring anyone from last summer’s silver medal team, and Memmel is the only holdover from the squad that won gold at the 2003 worlds. But this new group isn’t exactly a bunch of rookies.
Great things are expected for Liukin, who routed the junior ranks and would have been a sure bet for Athens if she’d been old enough. The 16-year-old got off to a quick start Wednesday, finishing with 37.454 points to edge Memmel, and qualifying for the finals on uneven bars, balance beam and floor. She’s the only gymnast to make three event finals.
“Tomorrow’s going to be a good training day and then I’ll be ready for all-around,” Liukin said.
Memmel said she’ll be ready, too. She scored 37.412 in the all-around prelims, and qualified for the bars and beam finals. Memmel also finished among the top eight on floor, but she was knocked out of the final because countries are only allowed two gymnasts in each final and Liukin and Alicia Sacramone had higher scores.
“I’m definitely pleased, it was a great first day,” Memmel said, adding that she felt “very confident” about her chances of winning the all-around title.
The top 24 finishers from Wednesday’s preliminary competition advance to the women’s all-around final on Friday. The top eight finishers from each apparatus – the balance beam, floor, vault and uneven bars – advance to the individual event finals on Saturday and Sunday.
The preliminary scores don’t carry over to the finals.
Soccer
Best back on ventilator
Soccer great George Best was put back on a ventilator after a difficult night and is troubled by internal bleeding again, his doctor said.
The 59-year-old former Manchester United star, who needed a liver transplant three years ago after decades of alcohol abuse, “remains critically ill but fairly stable” at Cromwell Hospital in London, Dr. Roger Williams said.
“He didn’t have a very good night,” said Williams, the head of Best’s medical team. “He had a disturbed night and had to be put back on the ventilator, but he is still very alert although sedated on the ventilator.”
Williams said there was a recurrence of internal bleeding.
“It does seem to be coming back to some degree again, the loss of blood, which is a worry,” he said.
Williams said he couldn’t put a percentage on Best’s chances of recovery.
“The United States dropped one spot to eighth in the final FIFA rankings before the World Cup draw on Dec. 9.
Brazil maintained the top spot it has held since July 2002, a month after it won its record fifth World Cup. The Czech Republic moved into second ahead of the Netherlands, which dropped to third. Argentina was fourth, followed by France, Spain, Mexico, the United States, England and Portugal.
Football
Fresno St. heading to Liberty Bowl
No. 16 Fresno St. has accepted a bid to play in the Liberty Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
The game will mark the first appearance for the Bulldogs (8-2, 6-0 Western Athletic Conference) in a bowl east of the Mississippi River.
The Liberty Bowl is Dec. 31 and will also feature the top Conference USA team.
Miscellany
Stevens ready to retire
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens is set to retire – again.
The three-time Kentucky Derby winning rider will retire at a news conference Friday at Churchill Downs, according to several people close to Stevens who requested anonymity because an official announcement has not been made.
“U.S. dance champions Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto withdrew from next week’s NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan, the last event of figure skating’s Grand Prix series. The world silver medalists dropped out because Agosto has a pulled groin muscle.
“France’s Antoine Deneriaz, after an 11-month layoff due to a torn ligament in his left knee, took 1 minute, 40.12 seconds to finish first in the first downhill training session of the season in Lake Louise, Alberta.