What a dog fight.
There are far more contending teams in Men’s Gymnastics than in the women’s division.
Congratulations to those who pulled it together enough to earn a spot in the top 12.
German hero Fabian Hambuechen was the star of the meet as far as the fans were concerned.
… Germany passed the Americans in the final rotation of the day thanks to star Fabian Hambuechen, the reigning world bronze medalist in the all-around. Hambuechen was magnificent, posting the fourth-highest individual score.
The 16.025 he scored on high bar was more than a half-point ahead of anyone else, a ridiculous margin on a single event.
Romania and Canada both advanced to Beijing despite missing their best gymnasts. Romania, minus reigning world floor champ Marian Dragalescu, was sixth. Canada, which lost Olympic floor gold medalist Kyle Shewfelt to two broken legs last week, was 11th.
Italy finished 10th, clinching a spot with Igor Cassina’s acrobatic high bar routine. The reigning Olympic gold medalist in the event had the Italian fans shrieking with delight, and when his score was posted, it set off another celebration.
Ukraine, the silver medalist in 2000 and winner of the bronze in 1996, finished 13th and will miss the Olympics for the first time since declaring independence in the wake of the breakup of the Soviet Union. …
Gymnastics Coaching.com 