Beth Tweddle: I’m gutted to miss a medal, but I won’t quit now
Aug 19 2008
by Liverpool Echo
BETH TWEDDLE vowed to carry on competing after seeing her hopes of claiming an Olympic medal dashed in heart-breaking fashion in the uneven bars final.
The City of Liverpool gymnast missed out on bronze by just 0.025 of a mark and had to settle for fourth place.
The 23-year-old was bidding to follow British team-mate Louis Smith onto the podium after he won bronze on Sunday but was punished for two small errors – including one on the landing - and was awarded a score of 16.625.
As the penultimate competitor to go, Tweddle knew she needed to beat home favourite Yang Yilin’s 16.650 to be in medal contention but she fell agonisingly short.
Gold went to China’s He Kexin with the silver going to the USA’s Nastia Liukin.
"I gave it my all and I'm slightly gutted," Tweddle said.
"My dismount is normally not a problem but I came out late and I didn't get enough height. I thought I was going to end up flat on my face!
"But if anyone had said before the start of the final I would be fourth I’d have been over the moon as I qualified in last place.
"Before I went to Macau the goal was to make the final and get a medal but after picking up an injury I was just pleased to be out there competing.
"I would have loved to have won an Olympic medal but it wasn’t to be. There is a lot of other stuff for me to look back on over my career
"I made one dream and that was to make an Olympic final and hopefully the new generation can now follow in Louis Smith's footsteps.
"I'm going to continue. I don't see myself quitting now, although I will have some time off. I’m looking forward to competing next year."
The World, European and Commonwealth medallist, who overcame a rib injury to take part in the Games, went for broke by going for the most difficult routine on show.
The gamble didn’t pay off but her mark of 16.625 was still higher than that which won her the World Championships in 2006.
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