INSIDE LOOK: `DIVA' COLLECTS HER GOLD AGAIN KHORKINA 1ST WITH 3 ALL-AROUND TITLES.Byline: Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. Staff Writer Her lips began to quiver right before her name was announced and she took a deep breath to compose herself before ascending ascending /as·cend·ing/ (ah-send´ing) having an upward course. ascending progressing to higher levels, usually used in reference to the nervous system. to the podium podium In architecture, a pedestal on a large scale. It may be any of various elements that form the base of a structure, such as the platform forming the floor and substructure of a Classical temple, a low wall supporting columns, or the structurally or decoratively to be crowned the queen of women's gymnastics gymnastics, exercises for the balanced development of the body (see also aerobics), or the competitive sport derived from these exercises. Although the ancient Greeks (who invented the building called a gymnasium once more. It was a step Svetlana Khorkina Svetlana Vasilievna Khorkina (Russian: Светлана Васильевна Хоркина had made many times in the decade she has ruled the sport but even she seemed to know it could be her last trip to the top of the podium. The emotion was difficult to hide. It flashed across her face as the Russian national anthem played through the arena and she closed her eyes quickly before a tear escaped. There would be no shame in crying but her pride seemingly would not allow it and she composed herself as the anthem ended and the cameras panned out from the closeup of her face. ``I so so sorry but I know I have to finish someday some·day adv. At an indefinite time in the future. Usage Note: The adverbs someday and sometime express future time indefinitely: We'll succeed someday. Come sometime. ,'' Khorkina said after becoming the first gymnast to capture three world all-around titles Friday night. ``... This World Championship is my last and it is very important to me.'' At 24, Khorkina is nearly a decade older than her competitors but as she showed Friday night, she still can command the stage. Though Khorkina seemed more interested in an article about her from the French magazine L'Equipe entitled ``Diva,'' than in the answers being given by silver medalist Carly Patterson  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. or bronze
medalist Zhang Nan
Zhang Nan (Simplified Chinese: 张楠) is a female Chinese gymnast. She was born on April 30, 1986 in Guizhou. of China, Patterson might have best summed up Khorkina's contribution to the sport. ``She's like an actress,'' Patterson said. And the type of presentation an actress would make was what helped Khorkina score a 9.675 in the floor exercise - the highest of the night in that event. As she leaped in the air on her final dismount, landing on her stomach and then rolling over to her side to cross her legs, Khorkina threw back her head and let out a sly smile, signaling her satisfaction. The queen was pleased and so were the judges. Young Carly Patterson still was mathematically alive for the gold if she could stick her vault, and the American crowd got behind her. But Khorkina already had captured their hearts. ``When I'm competing I try to express myself from my heart,'' Khorkina said. ``I feel so empty (because I gave) all my heart to the crowd.'' But fittingly, Khorkina was not present to see Patterson take a large step on her landing and lose the gold. ``I was in the ladies' room washing my hands,'' she said. ``When I came out, my coach told me I had won.'' As if there was any doubt. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Russia's Svetlana Khorkina, shown on the balance beam Friday, scored a 9.675 in the floor exercise, the highest score in the event. Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press |
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