By NANCY ARMOUR – AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Hamm showed the world he’s back while Nastia Liukin reminded everyone she’s still very much here. …
This was Hamm’s first international meet since he won the gold medal in Athens almost four years ago, and he dominated as if he’d never been away. He scored 94.4 despite a fall off pommel horse, and finished more than three points ahead of fellow American Sasha Artemev (91.150) and reigning world bronze medalist Hisashi Mizutori (90.950).
Liukin, who was upstaged by Shawn Johnson last year as she struggled with an ankle injury, rebounded in impressive form. She finished with 63.425 points while Johnson, the reigning world champion, scored 63.1 after a fall on a tough, new vault.
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Johnson was her usual solid self. Her only trouble came on vault, her first event. She’s doing a new vault that only a few other people in the world do, and she landed it short, needing to take several steps back before sitting down on the mat.
She still scored a 15.175, the best score on vault of the day, and had the highest scores on floor and balance beam. But the fall was enough to put her behind Liukin.
read the entire story on AP – Hamm, Liukin Win American Cup
Nastia original – flickr – katakanadian
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