Gymnastics flare-up

Press, 26 July 1980, Page 21

Gymnastics flare-up

NZPA-AP Yelena Davydova, of the Soviet Union, won the women’s gymnastic allround competition on Thursday, after one of the most vigorous disputes in the history of the Olympic Games. The raging controversy among judges and officials broke out after the final performance of Nadia Comaneci, of Rumania, on the balance beam. Her score was not posted for 30 minutes. She and Maxie Gnauck tied for the silver medal. The dispute was unprecedented at an Olympic gymnastics event. An organisation committee spokesman said that the dispute concerned the initial refusal of the Rumanian head judge, Maria Simidnescu, to agree with the decision by four Eastern European judges to award Miss Comaneci 9.85 points for the beam routine. The Rumanian official had insisted that Miss Comaneci receive a higher score of 9.90 or above, the Soviet spokesman said. The dispute was referred to a jury, which upheld the majority decision. Miss Davydova finished with a total of 79.150 points; Miss Comaneci and Miss Gnauck had 79.075 each. Miss Comaneci, the defending champion in the all-round event, began the

final four exercises lying fourth in the standings, which were led by Miss Gnauck, but worked her way up within striking distance of the gold medal by lodging the night’s only perfect score of 10.0 for her routine on the uneven bars, her third exercise.

She had fallen .on the same apparatus on Wednesday, ending Rumania’s last faint hopes of

a team gold medal, which went to the Russians. Rumania was second and East Germany took the bronze. Miss Davydova is relatively unknown in international gymnastics. She was only added to the Soviet Olympics team after performing strongly in a national Olympic trial in June, and at the team selection camp a week before the Games.