ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 1996 TAG: 9607300107
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
Shannon Miller didn't want to be remembered for her falls and mistakes. Two Olympic gold medals should take care of that.
It wasn't so easy for another star, as Vitaly Scherbo failed to repeat his magical performance of 1992. He left Atlanta without the gold medal he so desperately sought.
After failing miserably in the all-around and the vault, Miller won her second gold medal Monday night with a near-flawless display on the balance beam.
``I don't know what else to say but it feels great,'' Miller said. ``It was a great note to end on.''
The same could be said for the rest of the U.S. squad. Barcelona veterans Jair Lynch and Dominique Dawes were medalists on the final night of gymnastics competition.
Lynch won a silver on the parallel bars, and Dawes took home the bronze on the floor exercise. Lynch and Dawes are the first black Americans to win individual gymnastics medals.
Miller, the most decorated U.S. gymnast, won five medals in 1992, but none was gold. Her first gold came last week with the rest of the U.S. women's team.
The grin on Miller's face as she finished her beam routine said it all, and coach Steve Nunno threw his hands into the air in celebration. The crowd, which gave her its loudest cheer since the team finals, cranked it up when Miller's score of 9.862 flashed.
When the final standings were posted, the crowd gave Miller a standing ovation and the chants of ``U-S-A' began. Dawes, who was getting ready to compete in the floor exercise final, ran over to give her a hug.
``This is her 30th Olympic routine,'' said Steve Nunno, Miller's coach. ``On her final event, her final attempt, she was just awesome.''
Lilia Podkopayeva of the Ukraine, the all-around champion, claimed the silver and Gina Gogean of Romania got the bronze. It was Gogean's fourth medal of the Games.
Dawes got her second medal in an event in which she wasn't even supposed to compete. Kerri Strug had qualified first in the floor exercise, but had to pull out because of the sprained ankle she suffered in the team competition.
Dawes replaced her and was more than up to the task, putting on a beautiful routine that left the crowd cheering and her grinning. When the scoreboard showed she had won the bronze, Dawes smiled again and hugged coach Kelli Hill.
``There's been a lot of disappointment, but I think I'm satisfied,'' she said of her gymnastics career. ``I've learned a lot.''
The Americans almost had another medal, as Dominique Moceanu finished fourth. Podkopayeva won the gold and Simona Amanar of Romania got the silver.
Moceanu also finished sixth on the beam after a disastrous spill. The 14-year-old was trying to complete three aerial back handsprings on the 4-inch-wide beam, but missed her footing as she landed the second one.
Lynch almost didn't make it to the parallel bars after splitting open a dime-sized callus on his left hand during warm-ups. He sliced off the dead skin, applied pressure and ointment and hoped for the best.
``I'm a bloody mess,'' said Lynch, who finished sixth in the event in 1992. ``It really helped me focus on gymnastics and took away any possible distractions.''
He soared high above the parallel bars and nailed his landing. Rustam Sharipov of Ukraine won the gold and Scherbo finished with his third bronze.
``I definitely thought I had won the gold,'' Lynch said. ``I guess it was not in the judge's eyes.''
Scherbo wasn't happy, either. The Belarussian was seeking a record-trying seventh gold at these games, but fell short in six attempts. He'd already won a bronze in the all-around and the vault, Monday's first event final.
Alexei Nemov of Russia won the gold in the vault and Yeo Hong-Chul of South Korea took the silver.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB