Russian star Svetlana Khorkina stormed off the world gymnastics stage in true diva fashion here yesterday after flopping in her bid for a third consecutive Olympic uneven bars gold medal in her farewell performance.

The 25-year-old beauty, retiring after a 20-year career that includes three world all-around titles, lost her grip on the upper bar, failed to complete a swing through, hung for a moment, then let go, dropping to the mat on her feet.

She finished the routine and received an 8.925 from judges, then stormed off the floor of the sold-out arena without watching the final competitor, American Terin Humphrey.

France’s Emilie Lepennec dethroned Khorkina, winning with 9.687 points with Humphrey second at 9.662 and American Courtney Kupets third in 9.637.

Khorkina, nicknamed “Queen of the Bars”, could have been the first gymnast to lay sole claim to gold on the same apparatus in three consecutive Games.

Khorkina, who complained about judges’ scoring after finishing as runner-up to American Carly Patterson for Olympic all-round gold Thursday, is a five-time world champion on the bars.

Greek fans screamed with delight when home-nation hero Dimosthenis Tampakos, the reigning world still rings co-champion and 2000 Olympic runner-up, captured the gold medal with a 9.862 routine that made him “Lord of the Rings”.

The other co-champion, 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria, performed immediately after Tampakos and received a 9.850 that evoked cheers by fans who knew the top threat to their man had fallen short.

Chinese world co-champion Teng Haibin, who performed last, won pommel horse gold with 9.837 points, edging 2000 Olympic champion Marius Urzica, who had 9.825, with Japan’s Takehiro Kashima third.

“I’m very excited,” Teng said. “I feel very good. China has won many medals. Now I get to win one too.”

Urzica was unhappy in defeat, saying, “I don’t think the judges favored anyone. The order of the competition matters a great deal and I think that my routine was more difficult than that of the Chinese gymnast.”

Romania’s Monica Rosu won the women’s vaulting title with 9.656 points with American Annia Hatch second at 9.481 and Russia’s Anna Pavlova third.

Hatch, born in Cuba, was denied a chance to compete at the 1996 Atlanta Games by her homeland, a US political rival. She fell in love with an American, moved to the United States, became a US citizen and finally lived her dream. “It’s unbelievable,” Hatch said. “I never dreamed I would win two medals. It’s a very special accomplishment for me.”

Canada’s Kyle Shewfelt, third at last year’s world championships, won Olympic men’s floor exercise gold with a score of 9.787, the same score that Romanian Marian Dragulescu received in settling for silver on deduction tie-breakers.

“Kyle performed better than me,” Dragulescu said. “The difference between his program and mine was very small. But still, he was a little better.”

World co-champion Jovtschev was third for the second Olympics in a row. The other world co-champion, American Paul Hamm, was fifth. He also finished sixth on pommel horse. Gymnastics concludes today with five more titles decided.

US, Australia Locked in Olympic Softball Gold-Medal Showdown

The United States moved closer to their third straight Olympic softball gold yesterday when they blanked Australia 5-0 in the semifinals, staying unbeaten without conceding a run at the Athens Games.

But Australia whipped Sydney Olympic silver medalists Japan 3-0 in a second-chance play-off for a final berth under the two-step semifinal system. The result gave Japan the bronze medal.

The United States, who handed Australia their only preliminary loss by a lopsided 10-0 score a week ago, advanced to Monday’s gold-medal showdown by winning the premier semifinal between the best two teams from the early round.

In the second-tier semifinal earlier yesterday between the teams, which ended third and fourth in the eight-nation round robin, Japan needed an extra inning to defeat China 1-0. Against Australia, who won the bronze in the last two Olympics, the defending champions came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning when pitcher Lisa Fernandez drove in a run on a double over centerfield.

With the bases loaded in the fifth, third-base player Crystl Bustos singled for two runs. Stacey Nuveman popped up a sacrifice fly to leftfield for another when the bases were loaded again in the same inning.

Kelly Kretschman’s solo home-run in the sixth put the United States further ahead 5-0 for its eighth straight shutout win here.

“We have got everyone ready,” US head coach Mike Candrea said about who may pitch for the gold medal today among such standouts as Fernandez, Jenni Finch and Catherime Osterman. “We will make a decision sometime tonight. But they are all ready.”

“It’s incredible,” said 33-year-old Fernandez, the veteran of three Olympics. “I do not know what the future holds for Lisa Fernandez so I just want to really grasp every moment that I am here and really take it all in.”

In the play-off with Japan, Australia erupted in the top of the fifth inning when Kerry Wyborn doubled for three runs when the bases were loaded starting with a triple by Simmone Morrow.

Japan struggled back in the bottom of the seventh inning with Masui Mishina’s one-out double.

But Yumi Iwabuchi and pinch hitter Naoko Sakamoto both smacked easy ground outs.

“Right now we are running on adrenalin and that is what we will be going on tomorrow. We have got nothing to lose now,” Australia’s winning pitcher Tanya Harding said.

“They (US) have some pretty good hitters so I have to make sure I will have a pretty controlled game,” she said. “I want to keep it tight on the corners and not let the ball get over the plate.”

In the first semifinal, 41-year-old Chinese-born Reika Utsugi drove in the winning run on a double in the eighth inning.

Yukiko Ueno got off to a brilliant start after pitching the first perfect game in Olympic softball history two days ago when Japan beat China 2-0 in a preliminary match.

She allowed no Chinese on base until the bottom of the fourth inning.

At the end of the day, Utsugi said good-bye to softball competition after 18 years since she migrated from China as Ren Yanli. She became Japanese in 1995.

“I want to concentrate on coaching, and my goal is someday to beat the USA team,” she said.