Individual All-Around, Women

The format was the same as in 2004, with 24 women advancing to the final round from the team qualifying, with no more than two allowed from any nations. Qualifying scores did not carry over to the final round. In an unusual twist the two favorites were Americans Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. Liukin had been the best American in 2005-06, placing second at the 2005 World Championships, but she struggled a bit in 2007 with injuries. Johnson came on in 2007 and won the World Championships in all-around that year. Liukin had the genes and gymnastics background, as her father Valery Lyukin, had won four medals and two golds at the 1988 Olympics, including a silver medal in all-around. He moved to the United States to coach gymnastics after the break-up of the Soviet Union, and spelled his name Liukin in the US, giving birth to Anastasia Valeryevna Liukin, known as Nastia. Valery Lyukin had also coached the 2004 individual all-around champion, Carly Patterson.

Nastia Liukin won the gold medal rather comfortably, by 0.6 points over Johnson, as the two Americans made the predictions come true. Liukin had the best final round scores on beam and floor, and was second on the uneven bars. Johnson tied Liukin on floor, won the vault, and was second on beam, but a poor performance on the uneven bars dropped her back to the silver medal. China’s Yang Yilin won the bronze medal, narrowly trailing Johnson, but well ahead of Russia’s Kseniya Semyonova. Yang was one of the Chinese gymnasts who was suspected of being underage at Beijing. She was implicated in the controversy when Chinal Central Television (CCTV) showed a profile of her that noted her age as 14 in 2008. She was allowed to compete as were all the Chinese gymnasts suspected of being underage, and an investigation by the FIG in October 2008 cleared them all.