September 10, 2007	Monday	Sha'aban 27, 1428

STUTTGART (Germany), Sept 9: Cheng Fei became the first gymnast to win three consecutive vault titles as China added three more gold to their haul at the World Gymnastic Championships here on Saturday.

Cheng achieved the first gold medal by a Chinese woman at the championships as the 2008 Olympic hosts won three of the five on offer on the penultimate day of the event, to bring their total to five.

Xiao Qin claimed a third straight pommel horse win as Chen Yibing successfully defended his rings title, to add to the men’s team title, which they both won earlier in the week and Yang Wei’s all-around gold.

Yang failed to add to his medal tally finishing fourth on pommel and sixth on the rings.

Cheng however made up for the disappointment of losing her women’s team title to the United States by nailing both of her jumps.

The 19-year-old from Beijing, who has now five world titles to her name, scored 15.937 as North Korea’s Hong Su Jong took silver (15.812) and Alicia Sacramone of the United States bronze (15.412).

Sydney Olympic champion Elena Zamolodchikova, the winner in 1999 and 2002, finished last in the eight-women final after falling badly on her second jump.

On the pommel, Xiao, 22, made no mistakes to score 16.300 and finish way ahead of the field.

Hungary’s Krisztian Berki took silver (15.700) with Louis Smith snatching a bronze for Britain (15.600).

And Chen proved he was lord of the rings as the 23-year-old fought off a stiff challenge from former champions Yuri Van Gelder of the Netherlands and Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria.

Van Gelder finished second at 0.075 with Jovtchev third at 0.125.

The Chinese did not have it all their own way as teenager Ksenia Semenova hit back for Russia with an uneven bars gold, as Brazil’s Diego Hypolito claimed his second world gold on the floor.

Semenova produced an acrobatic display to seal the gold with 16.350 points, as US star Anastasia Liukin, the 2005 champion, wobbled on her landing to take silver for the second straight year with 16.300.

China’s Yang Yilin won bronze (16.150) as defending champion Elizabeth Tweddle of Britain dropped to fourth (16.125).

Hypolito, 21, reclaimed the gold he first won in Melbourne in 2005 after being runner-up last year behind Romania’s Marian Dragulescu who did not compete because of a back injury.

His solid performance earned him 16.150 points with Spain’s Gervasio Deferr, the runner-up in 1999 and 2002, taking silver with 15.950.

Japan’s Hisashi Muzutori placed third with 15.650, for his third medal after an all-around bronze and team silver.—AFP