LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the balance beam eventduring the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan
US gymnast Bridget Sloan performs in the uneven bars event in the women's individual all-around final during the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO / Carl de Souza (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)
AFP/Getty Images
US gymnast Bridget Sloan performs in the uneven bars event in the women's individual all-around final during the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO / Carl de Souza (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)
AFP/Getty Images
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the balance beam eventduring the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan
Getty Images
Bridget Sloan of the U.S. performs on the uneven bars during the World Gymnastics Championships women's all-around final at the O2 Arena in London, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
AP
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the balance beam event next to Ksenia Semenova of Russia during the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan;Ksenia Semenova
Getty Images
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the balance beam eventduring the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan
Getty Images
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the balance beam event next to Ksenia Semenova of Russia during the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan;Ksenia Semenova
Getty Images
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the uneven bars during the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan
Getty Images
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the uneven bars during the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan
Getty Images
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Bridget Sloan of USA competes in the uneven bars during the Women's All Round Final on the fourth day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the O2 Arena on October 16, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bridget Sloan
Getty Images
It couldn't have been closer, with the difference being Bross'
fall on her final tumbling pass on the floor, the last event.
Sloan, the lone holdover from the U.S. team that won the silver
medal in Beijing, finished with 57.825 points. Bross competing at
her first world championships after turning 16 in July, scored
57.775.
Koko Tsurimi gave Japan a rare medal in the women's all-around,
winning the bronze.
When Sloan was introduced as the world champion, Bross gave her
such a big hug she practically lifted her older - and much taller -
teammate off the ground and onto the podium.
The pair recalled another recent American 1-2, when Nastia
Liukin beat Shawn Johnson for the Olympic gold medal last year in
Beijing. With both of them taking breaks from gymnastics, Bross and
Sloan came to London with similar expectations. Sloan is the U.S.
champion, and had made an easy transition from supporting player to
star. Bross is the phenomenon, so talented she finished second at
the Pan American Games two years ago - just days after her 14th
birthday.
Somewhere, something would have to give. (Yes, Beijing bronze
medalist Yang Yilin was here, but she's not nearly what she was
last year after missing several months with a back injury.)
But it took until the very end.
With Valeri Liukin watching and pacing, Sloan performed a
gorgeous floor routine. She had great height on her tumbling passes
and landed all of them as if she was coming down in a vat of
superglue. But what really sets her apart is her artistry.
Gymnastics officials have changed the rules since Beijing, limiting
the number of tumbling runs in hopes of making the event more
elegant.
For most girls, though, all that means is they wave their hands
around a few times and call it choreography. Sloan, though,
actually uses her music, landing her jumps on the beat and striking
sultry poses that were the perfect complement to her
Bollywood-style music.
Her score of 14.2 was the highest of the night on the floor. But
Bross had built up such a big lead, she needed only a 12.925 to
win.
She had little bobbles here and there, but they weren't major -
certainly not enough to cost her the title. But with only one last
trick to do, she didn't get the height she needed and nearly landed
on her head. The crowd gasped. Bross picked herself up and climbed
off the podium, walking quickly to the end of the arena while Sloan
stared at the scoreboard.
When the final scores were posted, Sloan immediately went to
find Bross and the two exchanged hugs.
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