Olympic Champion
Nastia Wins Gold In The All Around
Congratulations Nastia - 2008 Olympic All Around Champion! It has been a magical few days for Nastia in Beijing winning a medal of every color! On Wednesday she competed on three events in team finals - including a meet high 16.900 (7.7 A score) on uneven bars - to help the team to a silver medal. The US women lead after the first rotation but the Chinese came back strongly on the uneven bars to take a lead which they retained throughout the rest of the competition. Romania snatched the bronze ahead of the team from Russia.

With both gymnasts performing at their best, the much anticipated contest between Nastia and her teammate Shawn for the Olympic All Around title did not disappoint. Nastia's began her competition with a stuck yurchenko 1.5 earning a 15.035 (5.5 A score). She followed this with her two highest scores of the final, a 16.650 (7.7 A Score) on uneven bars and 16.125 (6.6 A Score) on balance beam and a strong performance on floor exercise (15.525 / A Score) to win the gold medal by more than half a point (63.325). "Standing on the podium and hearing `Olympic champion' next to my name was a dream come true. Everything pays off at this very moment." The victory made all the more special because she was able to share it with her father, who 20 years ago missed winning the same title by 0.1. "Just to know that he was so close to (the all-around gold) and didn't quite achieve it ... I hope, you know, I cleared away any of those bad little memories for him. I hope that this definitely tops it. I have a few more to go, but it is an amazing accomplishment just to be here with him, out on the floor 20 years after he competed. I think it just means so much more to both of us. I don't know, just all the hard work paying off. All the injuries, tears, blood, rips — everything." And from Valeri, "It's not possible to describe how proud I am ... I'm very proud of my baby."

Nastia kicked off her event final campaign tonight by taking a bronze medal (she now has a complete 'set') in the floor exercise final. Many expected that she might falter, overcome following her all around success, but Nastia produced her best floor routine of the Olympics to score a 15.425 (6.2 A Score). Romania's Sandra Isbaza took gold (15.650 / 6.5 A Score) ahead of Shawn Johnson (15.500 / 6.4 A Score). Nastia will compete in the uneven bars final on Monday and close her Olympic campaign on Tuesday with the beam final. Congratulations on your success so far Nastia and good luck in the coming finals!