Sacramone out of floor exercise final after appeal rejected

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) rejected the U.S. appeal Thursday of requiring to restore a half-point to Alicia Sacramone's qualifying score, keeping Sacramone out of the floor exercise finals at the world championships.

Sacramone is the floor exercise champion in 2005 Melbourne worlds and the judgement of half-point deduction is enough to deprive her chance of defending her title.

The appeal, sent on Wednesday by U.S. Gymnastics president Steve Penny, was quickly turned down.

FIG secretary general Andres Gueisbuhler said the federation was following the new rule, ushered in after problems at the Athens Olympics, so the judging decisions like this could not be appealed once settled on the floor.

Penny acknowledged the appeal was a long shot. "What's really a shame is that they're taking arguably the best girl in the world out of this event and out of this competition," he said.

Source: Xinhua