Flying Squirrel finale
Douglas goes for third medal of games on balance beam; men on high bar
LONDON – Gabby Douglas is back for her grand finale.
Already a two-time gold medalist, the American teen nicknamed the Flying Squirrel has a chance for one more title before she leaves the London Games, competing today on the balance beam.
Even Douglas wouldn’t have expected to make the final in the event a month ago, considering she had been so shaky in training. A fall off the beam on the second day of the U.S. championships in June cost her the national title.
But lately Douglas has the highest scores of anybody on the talented U.S. women’s roster. She is determined to keep that run going and finish strong after placing eighth – and last – in the uneven bars final Monday with a score of 14.9.
“Beam has been excellent. If I can just do what I did in the all-around finals or team finals, then I’ll be good,” said Douglas, who won gold in the all-around and team competitions last week. “I’m going to get a lot of rest, just rest up, and do a lot of therapies and relax my body and hopefully prepare for that.”
American Danell Leyva, bronze medalist in the men’s all-around, competes on high bar today along with teammate Jonathan Horton.
Also today, the two U.S. women’s beach volleyball pairs play semifinal matches at Horse Guards Parade and could set up an all-American final. Two-time defending gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor take on Beijing bronze medalists Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China, while No. 2 American tandem April Ross and Jennifer Kessy face reigning world champions Juliana and Larissa of Brazil.
Featured on NBC
(8 p.m.-midnight)
Gymnastics: individual event gold medal finals in men’s parallel bars, men’s high bar, women’s balance beam, women’s floor exercise. Track and field: gold medal finals in men’s 1500m, men’s high jump, women’s 100m hurdles. Beach volleyball: semifinal.