Paris 2024: Bryony Page writes golden chapter to complete Olympic medal set
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Updated 02/08/2024 at 16:29 GMT+1
The 33-year-old was looking for the elusive gold medal to complete her set, having secured silver at Rio 2016 and bagged bronze three years ago in Tokyo. And with a devastatingly well-executed routine, Page ended her long wait for a spot on the top step of the podium. Performing in penultimate position in the final, the Brit dropped to her knees in elation when her score of 56.480 was announced.
'Elegant, skilful' - Page produces stunning display to complete Olympic set with gold
Video credit: TNT Sports
Bryony Page completed her medal set and finally became an Olympic champion after a dazzling display in the women’s trampoline final.
The 33-year-old was gunning for the long-awaited gold medal, having secured silver at Rio 2016 and bagged bronze three years ago in Tokyo.
Competing in penultimate position in the final, Page knew that she had to up her 55.620 qualification score by some margin, with a golden bar of 56.060 set by Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya
The Brit pulled off a near-flawless routine and dropped to her knees when her score of 56.480 was announced over the loudspeaker.
No finalist set themselves a harder run, and Page’s 15.000 routine difficulty could only be bettered by her own of 15.200 in qualification.
But there was still one more competitor that could have dashed Page’s dreams of gold: Yicheng Hu, who out-qualified the two-time world champion by 0.650 points.
However, the wait for the title was cut short, as the Chinese gymnast lost her bearings in mid-flight and landed agonisingly on the foam matting.
Team GB team-mate Izzy Songhurst, meanwhile, was eliminated in qualification on her Olympic Games debut.
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The 25-year-old from Poole has six world championship medals to her name, including a mixed team gold alongside Page, but fell short of making the eight-woman cut for the final.
Her first exercise score of 52.920 from an ambitious 14.400 difficulty routine – on a par with top qualifier Zhu – placed her 14th.
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Gold medalist Bryony Page of Team Great Britain celebrates with her coach during the Trampoline Gymnastics Women's Final on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 02, 2024 in Paris, France.
Image credit: Getty Images
And despite Songhurst’s mid-routine execution letting her down, the two-time European champion was pleased with the way she dealt with such immense pressure on the “biggest” stage of her career.
“It was a bit bitter-sweet I think,” said Songhurst. “I didn’t really go out there and do my best work today so I have mixed emotions at the moment.
“But ultimately to come out at my first Olympics and put down two routines in front of the biggest crowd I’ve ever performed in front of, I am proud of myself.
“This was the best start to a routine I’ve ever had in my life and then it went a bit wrong in the middle. It actually looks better on camera than it felt in person.”
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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