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United States Women Take Early Lead at World Gymnastics
The United States women's team shook off a shaky start to take provisional overnight lead in the team and individual qualifiers at the world artistic gymnastic championships Monday.
But the Americans were aware they would be hard pushed to hold that lead when the star gymnasts from Romania and Russia take to the floor Tuesday.
"It's a little hard going on first and knowing that the marks are going to go higher," said America's Tasha Schwikert, the top individual scorer on 36.262 points.
The Americans started well on the vault but looked far from confident on the beam and uneven bars with each team member making two mistakes, before finishing strongly on the floor routine.
The USA were way ahead on 145.147 points after seven teams had competed with 20 to go, Spain second on 142.797.
Brazil, trained by former Ukrainian head coach Oleg Ostapenko, were third on 138.320 after suffering multiple falls in their difficult routines.
Dynamic Brazilian Daniele Hypolito was impressive on the floor excerise scoring the highest marks with 9.387.
The real challangers have yet to come with Romanian team leader Andreea Raducan bidding to claim their fifth title in a row and avenge the Olympic all-around gold medal she was stripped for unwittingly taking a cough remedy.
But the 18-year-old faces a tough task after being beaten by two juniors at the Romanian national championships and the challenge posed by 1997 world champion Svetlana Khorkina and Elena Zamolodchikova of Russia.
Khorkina, whose 1999 fall from the balance beam handed Romania their fourth straight world team title, will be trying to put Russia back on top of women's gymnastics.
China will not be challengers this time round having sent just one candidate - the unknown Sun Xiaojiao.
Eight teams qualify for the finals and 32 individuals for the all-around title.
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