American Women Take Gold

STUTTGART, Germany - The tears of joy started as soon as Alicia Sacramone saluted the judges.

Even when they're not at their very best, the Americans are good enough for gold.

Bouncing back from mistakes that would have cost a great team the gold medal on most days, the Americans finished with two of the most dazzling routines of the entire competition to clinch their second title at the world gymnastics championships today.

America finished with 184.400 points, nearly a point ahead of defending gold medalist China. Olympic gold medalist Romania took the bronze.

The Americans came into the finals as heavy favorites after breezing through qualifying, finishing almost four points ahead of China, a massive margin in a sport decided by tenths and hundredths of points. But scores start over in team finals, and the Americans faltered badly on balance beam, going into the final rotation .100 points behind China.

But the Americans can strut their stuff like nobody else, and the Chinese didn't have a chance. National champion Shawn Johnson got so high on her tumbling passes she could practically have touched the flags hanging from the ceiling, and she landed every one without a wobble or a wiggle.

And that wasn't even the best the Americans had to offer. Alicia Sacramone, the world champ on floor two years ago, was the anchor, and Las Vegas might want to get her under contract now. This was no athletic performance, this was a show.

She sashayed and sauntered, playing to the judges and crowd. She tumbled as if she had springs in her legs, and landed as if she had sticky tape on her feet.

She knew it was good, beaming as she finished. And as soon as she turned away from the judges and began trotting toward her teammates, the tears began to flow.