Liukin lists team's gold as top task at gymnastics worlds

American talented teenager Anastasia Liukin overcame the hindrance of sprained ankle to take the first place in uneven bars with 16.200 points in first-day's qualifiers, but she gave more credit to team title rather than the individual honor.

Liukin, the double winner of 2005 Melbourne, injured her ankle in training just 10 days before the gymnastic worlds unveiled, but she was so eager to play for the team and was granted to compete in the last minute.

To her, the team gold worths much more than her individual title out of the uneven bars.

"The team title is my priority, and my individual event is not the matter I will consider for now," said the 17-year-old after the qualifiers. "I thank my team give me the opportunity to compete here and I am so eager to contribute for the team victory."

"We are so good as a team. We train together for three weeks and we are binded so well to help each other and push each other, so we are one of the best teams."

Liukin didn't feel flattered by her performance even it's a provisional top. "It's not my best presentation definitely. What I need to do is to train tomorrow for the team finals," said she.

"I was so upset when I was injured, for I could miss the chance to compete in the championships, so I looked when they are training and I came to train after that. I just want to contribute to the team. Everybody has a little bit that is hurting and you just have to live with it."

"We are just going to do what we did today and we will make it, " she said.

U.S. women's team dominated the gymnastic worlds in Melbourne one year ago to take four golds out of five on offer. Chellsie

Memmel and Anastasia Liukin finished one-two in the all-around and then Liukin pocketed up tow golds out of the beam and uneven bars, leaving just the vault title to China.

Source: Xinhua