July 30, 2012
When there’s gold to be gotten, don’t ever doubt the Chinese.
When there’s silver and bronze on the line, don’t count anyone out.
The Chinese won their second straight Olympic title and third in four games Monday, making fools of everyone who wrote them off after a dismal performance in qualifying.
“After getting up from bed I thought we were going to win it,” said Chen Yibing, one of only two holdovers from the Beijing squad. “We have the abilities and the skills.”
China’s score of 275.997 points was more than four points better than Japan, which needed help from a DVR to finish second.
Britain initially was announced as the silver medalist, setting off raucous celebrations at the O2 Arena, Princes William and Harry included. The British don’t have a proud history in gymnastics — barely any at all — and this was their first men’s team medal in a century.
But Japan questioned the score of three-time world champion Kohei Uchimura on pommel horse, the very last routine.
While judges huddled around a video screen, the British partied and Uchimura and his teammates sat stone-faced against a wall.
“I couldn’t say anything,” Uchimura said. “I couldn’t think anything at the very beginning. I was thinking, ‘It’s fourth, it’s fourth.'”
About five minutes later, though, it’s silver.
Uchimura’s score was revised, with judges giving him seven-tenths more credit for his dismount. Instead of 13.466, he scored 14.166 — enough to move Japan from fourth to second with a total of 271.952.
Britain was bumped down to bronze, while Ukraine dropped to fourth.
“To win a medal in your home games, I’ll take that any day,” Kristian Thomas said. “We never actually had the silver in our hands, so there’s no real disappointment.”
Tell that to the Japanese, who were bested by the Chinese yet again.
Just like everybody else.
“Even after it was changed, I was not too happy,” Uchimura said.
China now has gone eight years without losing at a major competition.
The Americans, hoping for their first Olympic title since 1984 after finishing No. 1 in qualifying, lost all hopes for a medal with a dismal showing on pommel horse, their second event. They rallied to finish fifth.
“It didn’t go as planned today,” U.S. champion John Orozco said. “I can’t help but feel personally responsible because I did five events — I did the most out of everyone — and I botched on two of them. It hurts.”
For the Chinese, it was pure joy.
When Zhang Chenglong finished on pommel horse, China’s last routine, he let out a roar. Chen bent over and covered his face with his hands, unable to stop the tears.
The Chinese have been like playground bullies most of the last decade, sauntering into every competition and scooping up as many gold medals as possible — the last five world titles and at the Sydney and Beijing Olympics, where they won all but one of the men’s medals. They probably would have claimed that, too, had they bothered to contend for vault.
This victory may have been even more special because of the team’s struggles during the last two years.
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Zhang Chenglong was born on May 12th, 1989 according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Chenglong
May 12th, 1989
5 + 12 = 17 = his core number = Superstar. Inspirational.
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numerology behind the news 