Naazmi wins gold

October 14, 2010 12:08 am | Updated 12:08 am IST - NEW DELHI:

THE CLINCHER : Naazmi Johnston's performance with the ball helped her clinch the gold. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

THE CLINCHER : Naazmi Johnston's performance with the ball helped her clinch the gold. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Naazmi Johnston outpointed Chrystalleni Trikomiti in an exciting contest to clinch the individual all-around gold in the Commonwealth Games rhythmic gymnastics at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.

Australian Naazmi tallied 100.100 points to claim the top honour, while Chrystalleni of Cyprus got 98.975 for the silver medal. Malaysian Elaine Koon scored 96 for the bronze.

The competition between Naazmi and Chrystalleni for the yellow metal went down to the wire. Especially commendable was the way the two top athletes performed under pressure.

After a superb show with the ribbon (25.35), 16-year-old Chrystalleni managed to pull off a 24-plus score despite a slight goof-up in the rope. Then, she displayed her excellent command in hoop to earn 25.625 points.

Close chase

Naazmi gave a close chase to the Cypriot with a 24.6 in ribbon and a 25.275 in rope. She notched up another 25-plus score in the hoop despite the distractions posed by a grasshopper.

The competition was so close that both the gymnasts were tied at 75.425 points each with just the final rotation to go.

Chrystalleni faced some nervous moments as she waited for her scores from the ball, which slipped out of her hands during the last rotation. She managed a 23.55.

Chrystalleni agreed that her mistake in the last apparatus took the gold away from her.

Twenty-one-year old Naazmi, the last performer of the day, dazzled to grab 24.675 points from the ball and win the title by a thin margin of 1.125.

No pressure

The Aussie girl said she did not feel the pressure. “I did not know the scores,” she said. Asked about the grasshopper episode, she said, “I did not have the time to think about that,” she said.

Pooja Surve, the lone Indian in the race, tried to do her best and finished at the 16th and last place with a total of 68.375 points.

Her best scores of 17.650 came in the ribbon. Her other scores were 17.6 in hoop, 16.925 in ball and 16.2 in rope. “The scores were according to my performance and expectations,” said Pooja.

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