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China's Cheng misfires at East Asian Games
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-03 20:50
Hoping to trademark a gymnastics maneuver, China's Cheng Fei tried a complex
new move for the first time in the women's vault at the East Asian Games on
Wednesday, and it cost her a gold medal.
Cheng fell during landing and ended up placing second.
She hopes to name the new move, a backward 180-degree flip and forward
540-degree flip, after herself, but said the naming requires a successful
attempt at competition.
Cheng sounded bitterly disappointed by her mistake. "Today everyone could see
the move obviously failed," she told reporters.
But she said the East Asian Games were considered a trial run for the
maneuver ahead of the world championships in Melbourne, Australia, later this
month. The move was originally slated to debut at the world championships.
"After practicing it, whether successfully or not, it's still a very good
foundation," Cheng said.
"At the next competition this move will be the focus," she said.
Cheng's coach, Lu Shanzhen, said Cheng wasn't confident enough Wednesday to
land the move with conviction.
"She didn't adjust well psychologically. She was still a little timid, always
thinking she had to try a new move," Lu said.
But he said Cheng's first attempt at her new move helped clear her jitters.
"When she gets to the world championships, psychologically she'll feel more
assured," said Lu. "She looked rather nervous today because it was her first
time."
Cheng scored 9.256, behind gold medalist Kang Yun Mi of North Korea with
9.306.
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