U.S. Gymnasts Settle for Silver

With a Chance to Catch China for Gold, American Women Stumble

BEIJING, Aug. 13 -- They had come to Beijing dreaming of gold. And as reigning world champions, the U.S. women's gymnastics team boasted the skill and confidence to win it.

But after two costly falls by their captain during Wednesday's team final, the U.S. women were left wearing silver medals and sorting out feelings as awkward as the gaffes in their highly anticipated clash with China -- sorrow, guilt and regret.

If possible, the disappointment ran deeper among U.S. coaches, who alternately voiced blame, skepticism about whether China's gymnasts met minimum age requirements and a thinly veiled allegation of gamesmanship on the part of the host country.

China, to the delight of a raucous, sold-out crowd at Beijing's National Indoor Stadium, won gold with 188.900 points, a day after the Chinese men routed the field for their own gold medal.

The U.S. women finished more than two points in arrears (185.525) to take silver.

And Romania, the 2004 Olympic champions, claimed bronze (181.525 points).

Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, was quick to reject any notion that Chinese officials had tried to freeze Alicia Sacramone with a prolonged, unexplained delay before her balance-beam routine -- an insinuation made by U.S. team coordinator Martha Karolyi moments after the competition ended.

Karolyi said the disruption likely caused Sacramone, 20, a Brown undergraduate, to lose focus and fall from the beam at the outset of her routine, setting in motion a series of flubs that cost the Americans any chance of overtaking China.

"All I can think is she lost concentration and was bothered by this thing," Karolyi said. "It's a psychological war, in a way."

But Penny insisted gamesmanship wasn't at work, noting that the previous day's men's competition had been slowed by numerous delays in the electronic scoring. The demands of television broadcasters frequently dictate pauses in the flow of competition, he added.

Whether a competitive ploy or commercial imperative, the delay came at a critical time.

The U.S. women never led but were within reach of overtaking China midway through the competition, when the two countries proceeded to the balance beam.