Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-17 19:35:33

(BEIJING, August 17) — He Wenna of China leads the way into the Trampoline finals after two impressive routines earned her the highest score of qualifications (67.20) at the National Indoor Stadium Saturday.

She will be the only woman representing her country. Fellow Chinese trampolinist Huang Shanshan, the bronze medalist in Athens 2004, failed to advance to the finals after falling during one of her two routines in qualifications.

If He Wenna wins gold, it will be a first for China in Trampoline at an Olympic Games.

Irina Karavaeva of Russia enters the finals with the second-highest qualification score (66.40), despite a small slip after her Voluntary routine. Karavaeva, gold medalist in the first-ever Olympic Women’s Trampoline competition at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, failed to make the final at Athens 2004 after she mistimed one of her routines in the qualifications.

Canadians Rosannagh Maclennan (66.00) and Karen Cockburn (65.60) claimed the next best qualifications scores. Cockburn, who won bronze at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and silver in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, impressed the judges with her high degree of difficulty.

Anna Dogonadze of Germany earned the chance to defend her Athens 2004 gold medal as she advanced to the final with high execution scores on her Voluntary routine.

The top eight women from the qualifications advance to finals. Men’s finals will be held August 19 at the National Indoor Stadium.