Olympics

[VanMan]

And they're getting a little help. Nastia and Jiang had the same possible deductions on beam, and Nastia had a lower score than the Chinese girl. Nastia also had a near-perfect vault, yet she only got a 9.3-something on the execution score. Shawn isn't getting any breaks at all. She only made three mistakes on the beam, getting her chest too low on a full-twisting back, which caused her to balance check, and a small step on the dismount, yet she got an 8.925 on the execution. These judges are definately favoring the Chinese. I'll bet that the FIG officials are in the pockets of the BOCOG or the Chinese Olympic Committee.

[SKIPPER 11]

Well we definately have the gold- now for Shaun- who has been getting screwed all night

[SKIPPER 11]

Shawn wins the silver - She will be back in 4 yrs and take the gold

[VanMan]

Nastia gold, Shawn silver (-0.6), Yang Yilin bronze (-0.675)

Twenty years after her father won gold in Seoul for the USSR, Nastia Liukin wins gold for the USA, and knock the Chinese off the top of the medal stand. She overcame some screwy scoring by the judges on the vault and bars to take it on the floor.

Shawn Johnson, the pixie from Iowa, takes silver. She still has two more shots at gold, the beam and floor event finals.

[VanMan]

Going into the floor, Shawn was behind Nastia by 0.6 points, while Yang was behind by 0.15. Yang made a few mistakes, and she still got her best score of 15.000, but she needed to do a lot better. Nastia just flipped her heart out, stayed in bounds, and did not give the judges a reason to mark her down lower than they needed to. Shawn had to have a miracle routine to overtake Nastia (get a 16.150 when her routine only had a max of about 16.000), but just needed her best to get silver, which she did.

NBC just rolled a tape of Bela Karolyi cheering on Nastia and then kissing Bob Costas when she finished. Boy, that man is animated. It's a good thing he was in the IBC and not there with wife Marta.

[VanMan]

OK, guys, tomorrow, Michael Phelps goes for the 100 fly out of lane five. Saturday, the Redeem Team (USA men's basketball) takes on Pau Gasol and Spain in a showdown for the top of Group B, followed by the medley relay, for Phelps' eighth gold. Next week is the track and field. Got a lot of Olympic action to come.

[SKIPPER 11]

We had a great day today

[VanMan]

Of course, Nastia goes from being born in Moscow, USSR, in 1989, moving with her parents to Texas, so they can open a gym, following dad Valeri to the gym to help save on babysitting, bouncing around and tumbling at age 3, landing a cameo role on "Stick It!" opposite Missy Peregrim two years ago, world champion two years ago, recovering from injury last year, which allowed Shawn Johnson to emerge on the scene, and now Olympic champion. Talk about the American dream.

[VanMan]

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

Michael Phelps has won his seventh gold medal, beating Cavic of Serbia by 0.01 second in the 100m fly, :50.58!

[SKIPPER 11]

That was unbelievable. He half stroked to win.