Bouncing back from mistakes Wednesday that would have cost a great team the gold medal on most days, the United States women finished with two of the most dazzling routines of the entire competition to clinch their second title at the world gymnastics championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
“We all started crying,” Nastia Liukin said. “It’s such a great feeling to know that finally we’re on top of the world again. It’s just a great feeling to know we’re on top again.”
The Americans’ only other world title came in 2003, when they won on their home turf.
The United States finished with 184.400 points, nearly a point ahead of defending gold medalist China. Romania, which missed a team medal last year for the first time since 1981, returned to the podium as the bronze medalist.
“I certainly want to win the gold, and in Beijing also,” said Lu Shanzhen, China’s coach. “But it’s competition. There’s only one gold, and you cannot always keep the gold.”
