Gold-getters

Lepennec was in a league of her own as she effortlessly glided between the bars to display her complex manoeuvres and triumphed with a score of 9.687.

Khorkina, who was hoping to become the first gymnast to win the same apparatus title at three successive Games, finished last out of the eight competitors with a score of 8.925.

American pair Terin Humphrey and Courtney Kupets picked up the silver and bronze respectively.

Kyle Shewfelt edged out Romania's Marian Dragulescu on a tiebreak to give Canada their first ever gymnastics gold medal in the Olympics men's floor exercise on Sunday.

Shewfelt executed his powerful tumbles to earn a score of 9.787 and was matched by Dragulescu but the Canadian was named champion once the tiebreak rules were applied by the judges.

Bulgaria's Jordan Jovtchev settled for his second successive Olympic bronze in the event.

Paul Hamm, who was awarded the all-round gold on Wednesday after a judging error denied South Korea's Yang Tae-young the title, was expected to take the title but the pressure was clearly etched on his face and he finished fifth.

Shewfelt was delighted.

"Basically, when I walked up, I just said to myself, 'Okay, you're in control Kyle. Be calm, have confidence, make it happen.'," he said. "Really those were my key words today.

"I sort of turned my brain off and I just thought it flowed."

Despite being unable to add the Games title to his European gold, Dragulescu said it had been a fair result.

"Kyle performed better than me," said Dragulescu. "The difference between his performance and mine was very little."

"If I had a better landing in my final tumbling series, I could have won gold."

Romania's Monica Rosu somersaulted to the gold in the women's Olympic vault final on Sunday.

Approaching the vault with plenty of aggression, the 17-year-old's intricate twisting combination was enough to secure gold with a score of 9.656.

American Annia Hatch was second and took silver, while Anna Pavlova of Russia finished third.

A hopped landing from defending champion Elena Zamolodchikova of Russia earned her deductions and she trailed in fourth place.

Teng Haibin maintained a perfect bodyline to swivel his way to the Olympic men's pommel horse title on Sunday and hand China their first gymnastics gold medal of the Athens Games.

Mounting the pommel with his eyes locked on the apparatus, Teng rotated with ease and punched his fists up into the air as he nailed his solid dismount and earned 9.837.

Defending champion Marius Urzica of Romania finished second while Takehiro Kashima of Japan won bronze in third.

American Paul Hamm, the controversial all-round champion, once again walked away empty handed in sixth place.

Greece's Dimosthenis Tampakos flexed his bulging muscles and rode a wave of national euphoria to claim the men's Olympics rings gold on Sunday.

The Greek managed to control the intense pressure heaped on him by the home fans to give a near flawless exhibition of strength and stamina in the strongman's event.

Tampakos's win gave Greece an Olympic rings champion for the first time since the 1896 Games after he edged out Bulgaria's Jordan Jovtchev by 0.012 of a point.

The first competitor to go up on the rings, Tampakos's dismount was greeted by a deafening roar and hail of flashing lightbulbs from around the Indoor Hall.

After nailing his landing, Tampakos stood, fists clenched by his side and then waited for his score. It was 9.862.

Then Tampakos had to wait anxiously on the sidelines as his main rival Jordan Jovtchev was up next.

The judges kept their end of the deal in maintaining the carnival atmosphere when they awarded Jovtchev 9.850.

As the flag-waving Greeks chanted their hero's name, none of the remaining six competitors could match the leading duo.

The 34-year-old Yuri Chechi, the 1996 champion, completed an emotional comeback to the international stage and finished third.

"I did my job, at least I think both of us could have been first. It's over who cares?" said Jovtchev.