Korean rhythmic gymnast well positioned for final

LONDON -- Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae put together solid performances on Thursday, the first day of the qualification round, to give herself a chance to advance to the all-around final at the London Olympics.

After the hoop and ball routines at Wembley Arena, Son finished fourth overall among 24 gymnasts. She earned 28.075 points in hoop and 27.825 points in ball for a combined 55.900 points.

On Friday, gymnasts will return for clubs and ribbon segments.

The top-10 gymnasts after all four routines will qualify for Saturday's final.

Son, 18, is seeking to become the first South Korean rhythmic gymnast to make an Olympic final.

Daria Dmitrieva of Russia finished at the top of the field at 57.800 points, followed by compatriot Evegeniya Kanaeva at 57.625 points. The two Russians are seen as the medal favorites in London.

Son finished third in the field in the hoop routine, setting a new personal best for this season. Her flawless performance gave her 9.500 points in difficulty score, 9.350 in artistic points and 9.225 in execution score.

In the second session of the day, Son lost control of her ball in the final moments of the 90-second routine and earned 9.257 points in difficulty, 9.400 in artistic and 9.150 in execution scores.

Son, who won the all-around bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, is one of South Korea's most bankable athletes and has been an omnipresent figure in television commercials.

Son said she was "very nervous" competing at her first Olympics but that she was able to keep her emotions in check.

"I've prepared so hard for the Olympics, and my primary goal is to reach the final," she said. "I was surprised with such a high score in hoop. I made a mistake in ball, but I am confident I can put up good scores in clubs and ribbon, too."

(Yonhap News)