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Olympic Gymnastics: USA's Nastia Liukin Wins Gold, Shawn Johnson Silver

8/15/2008 12:56 AM ET By Michael David Smith

    • Michael David Smith
    • Michael David Smith is FanHouse's Lead Blogger

American Nastia Liukin has won the Olympic gold medal in the inidividual all-around, clinching the title with a beautiful performance in the floor exercise to put away a stiff challenge from China's Yang Yilin.

The long-awaited showdown pitting Liukin and Team USA's Shawn Johnson with China's Yang and Jiang Yuyuan looked at times like it would be marred by a judging controversy, but Liukin was superb on the balance beam to enter the floor exercise with a tiny lead over Yang, and sublime on the floor to take it out of the judges' hands. Johnson took the silver, Yang took the bronze and Jiang was never really in it after falling her dismount on the vault.

Born in Moscow to parents who were stars in the powerful Soviet gymnastics program, Liukin came to America as a child and has been preparing for tonight her entire life. Now she joins Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson as the only Americans to win the Olympic all-around gold medal.

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