So if we can come out of here with 10 gold medals that would be more then great!http://www.cbc.ca/story/olympics/national/...nals040822.html
Last Updated: Mon Aug 23 13:07:15 EDT 2004
CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Canada's Kyle Shewfelt captured the gold medal in the floor event in men's gymnastics Sunday, giving Canada its first-ever Olympic artistic gymnastics medal.
* RELATED: Athlete bio: Kyle Shewfelt
The Calgary gymnast scored 9.787 on the event, which tied him with Romania's Marian Dragulescu. However, Shewfelt took sole possession of the gold after judges used a mathematical tie-breaking system.
"'I'm Olympic champion,' that sounds so good," Shewfelt told CBC's Catriona Le May Doan after the medal ceremony. "This is a moment I've dreamed of since I was a young kid. It doesn't quite feel real."
* RELATED: Athlete diary: Kyle Shewfelt
Shewfelt's job isn't done in Athens. Canada's first gold medallist of these Games will compete in the men's vault final on Monday, where again he is considered a medal contender.
Dragulescu settled for the silver, while Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria took the bronze with a score of 9.775. Jovtchev also won the bronze in Sydney in 2000.
The 22-year-old Shewfelt was not intimidated In what experts called the deepest field in a men's floor final. Known for his clean lines and impeccable execution, the Calgary gymnast nailed his routine from the opening tumbling run.
From there, Shewfelt was perfect, landing his dynamic final tumbling pass, which included two back somersaults and two twists. He had never landed the routine perfectly until Sunday's final.
"This is amazing," Shewfelt said. "I was happy to deliver the routine of my dreams in Olympic competition."
Since his 12th place finish in the floor at the Sydney Games in 2000, Shewfelt has been one of the sport's rising stars.
After a handful of World Cup medals over the past four years, Shewfelt put the gymnastics world on notice, winning bronze medals in floor and vault at the 2003 world championships and gold medals in floor and vault at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Shewfelt faced adversity leading up to the Athens Games. He injured his left ankle and foot at a World Cup in Germany in March, an injury that kept him from competing until the Canadian Olympic trials in July.
When Shewfelt finished his routine on Sunday, he pumped his fist in the air, knowing he had done something extraordinary.
"I yelled when I stuck my dismount because it was like a release of emotion," he said. "There was so much that went into this. Not so much worrying, but so much anticipation and anxiousness and expectation."
After seeing his score, Shewfelt ran and embraced longtime coach, Kelly Manjak, while family and friends waved flags in the fieldhouse stands. Shewfelt said having his family in Athens to enjoy the moment was special.
"Coming into this Olympics, my family said they were coming and I said 'You guys, it's a lot of money, you don't have to come,'" Shewfelt said. "I'm so glad right now they're here with me. I would not have wanted to experience winning Olympic gold without my biggest supporters here."
Greece's Tampakos wins gold in rings
Greek favourite son Dimosthenis Tampakos won the gold medal in the rings. He scored 9.862 points, the highest in all the five apparatus finals on Sunday.
"It was a very tough competition," Tampakos said. "It was the first time that so many athletes got over 9.800 points. We must congratulate all of them. They are all very good gymnasts."
Jovtchev won his second medal of the day on the rings. He clinched the a silver with a score of 9.850 points. Italian veteran Yuri Chechi, nicknamed "The Lord of the Rings," scored 9.812 points to take the bronze.
Chechi, who recently came out of retirement to compete at the Olympics, will end his career after the Athens Games.
Legendary Khorkina falls on uneven bars
Two-time defending Olympic uneven bars champion Svetlana Khorkina fell off the apparatus in the event final, sending the shocked crowd into a collective gasp.
The Russian, who won bronze in the team competition and silver in the all-around, picked herself up and finished her routine but finished last of the eight competitors.
Emilie Lepennec of France took the gold medal with a score of 9.687.
Terin Humphrey of the United States collected the silver in 9.662 and world champion Courtney Kupets of the U.S. won the bronze with a score of 9.637.
Five world championship titles have earned Khorkina the nickname "Queen of the Bars." If she would have won on Sunday, she would have been the first gymnast to win three straight gold medals on the same apparatus.
The 25-year-old is retiring after a 20-year career that includes three world all-around titles.
Teng takes pommel horse
Teng Haibin of China collected his first gold medal of the Athens Games with a stellar routine on the pommel horse.
His score of 9.837 was enough to edge Marius Daniel Urzica of Romania and Takehiro Kashima of Japan.
Romania's Rosu soars to vault win
In the women's vault, Monica Rosu of Romania captured the gold medal, dethroning Olympic champion Yelena Zamolodchikova of Russia, who hopped on her landing and finished fourth.
Annia Hatch of the U.S. took the silver and Anna Pavlova of Russia won the bronze.
Written by CBC Sports Online staff
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