Men's Gymnastics Team Final
Russia Runs Away with Men's Team Gold:
Russia
took the first gold medal awarded in gymnastics at the 1996 Olympic
Games, winning the team championship in men's gymnastics. With
workmanlike precision and consistency, the Russian team scored
576.778 to easily finish ahead the silver-medal team, China, at
575.539. Ukraine took the bronze at 571.541, edging Belarus, at
571.381, for the third-place medal.
The Russian team was led by Alexei NEMOV, who at
116.361 is the top qualifier for the individual all-around. His
teammate Alexei VOROPAEV, at 115.136, stands in third among the
individual all-arounders.
Vitaly SCHERBO (BLR) is second among the individuals,
scoring 115.210. The top 36 individuals will compete for the all-around
title on 24 July.
Individuals Open the Optional Competition:
Drawing the attention of the crowd and the judges
was the artistic and athletic performance of the only representative
from Greece in the men's competition, Ioannis MELISSANIDIS. The
final performer on the floor exercise, MELISSANIDIS was awarded
a 9.800, the highest score in the men's competition to date.
The team medals will be determined in two sessions
later today. After the team session ends, the top 36 athletes
qualify for the individual all-around, with a limit of three from
each nation. The all-around championship will be decided 24 July.
In the apparatus finals, the top eight gymnasts, with a maximum
of two per team, will compete on 28 July. Individual All-Around
Results (Session 1 of 3): Zoltan SUPOLA (HUN), 113.498; Jesus
CARBALLO (ESP), 111.76; Ilia GIORGADZE (GEO), 111.199.
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Team Results (Final): 1. RUS 576.778, 2. CHN 575.539,
3. UKR 571.541, 4. BLR 571.581, 5. USA 570.618, 6. BUL 567.567,
7. GER 567.405, 8. KOR 567.054, 9. ROM 566.257, 10. JPN 566.019
11. FRA 565.781, 12. ITA 564.142.
"In 1988 I was part of the Soviet team and now
I am part of the Russian team," said Sergei CHARKOV (RUS).
"Both teams are equally strong."
Men's Team Optionals, Section 1 of 3
"I can do better, but it was very good,"
said the lone representative from Greece, Ioannis MELISSANIDIS,
about his floor exercise. "We will have to wait two more
groups to see if I will advance. I will hope. The people here
are very kind to me. They know I am not among the favorites here,
and that I am young and very small. When I compete, I say to myself,
I have to be perfect for the Greek people."
This is an official publication of the Atlanta
Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.
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More tickets were sold to the competitions of the 1996 Games than to any other Olympic Games or sports event in history. The 8.6 million ticket sales figures topped sales to the Los Angeles and Barcelona Games combined.