Win in uneven bars secures individual medal
All the glory: Amy Chow of San Jose, Calif., waves to the crowd after she was awarded a silver medal in the women's individual event in gymnastics at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta last week. Chow shared the silver in the uneven bars with China's Bi Wenjing. Photo by Amy Sancetta |
By Bert Eljera
Although she’s not the star of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, Amy Chow has been one of its most productive members. Until Shannon Miller won the gold in the balance beam and Dominique Dawes captured the bronze in the floor exercises Monday night, Chow was the only U.S. gymnast to win an individual medal.
The 18-year-old Chow captured the silver medal in the uneven bars Sunday-the first member of the seven-woman team to win an individual medal in the Atlanta Olympic Games.
Chow, who lives in San Jose, Calif., posted a 9.837 mark on her favorite apparatus to share the silver with China’s Bi Wenjing. Svetlana Chorkina of Russia won the gold.
The silver goes with the gold that the U.S. team won in dramatic fashion last week. It was the first team gold American women have won in the history of the Olympics.
In what could be the defining moment of the Summer Games, Kerri Strug vaulted on a severely sprained ankle to keep the gold against the pressing Russians, who wound up with the silver. Later, her face contorted in pain, Strug was carried by her coach, Bela Karolyi, to the podium during the awards ceremonies. Since then, she has spoken to President Clinton and, already, endorsement offers have been pouring in.
The injury prevented Strug from competing in the all-around. Chow also did not compete in the event that determines the best gymnast in the Olympics. The eventual gold-medal winner was Lilia Podkopayeva of the Ukraine, the reigning world champion.
Miller, competing in what could be her last Olympics, topped the balance beam competition with a score of 9.862. Dawes got the bronze in floor exercises, posting a 9.837 mark.
In light of her shining performance in Atlanta, Chow is looking forward to her future plans. She will attend Stanford in the fall and plans to move on to medical school. She is expected to compete for Stanford in the NCAA, along with Dawes, who is going to the same school.
But Chow’s and Dawes’ plans to continue their amateur careers in gymnastics are now being re-evaluated in light of offers to the U.S. team to conduct a 60-city tour after the Olympics. Each gymnast is reportedly being offered $3,500 for each appearance. If they accept the money, they will lose their NCAA eligibility.
Neither Chow nor her mother, Susan, could be reached in Atlanta for comment this week.
The only other Asian Pacific American to win a gold medal in the Olympics was Catherine Fox, whose mother is from Vietnam. She was a member of the U.S. 4 x100-meter freestyle relay team that captured the gold medal on July 23.
Other APA athletes have been virtually invisible going into the last days of the Olympics. Most did not get past the first round. A few others, members of team sports, are still in the hunt.
Thanh Nguyen of Pacifica, Calif., finished 32nd of 36 contestants in weightlifting; Nhi Lan Le and Felicia Zimmermann lost in the first round of women’s fencing. Peter Westbrook failed to win a medal in men’s fencing.
Kevin Han, the two-time U.S. national champion who grew up and learned the sport in China, also lost in the first round of men’s badminton. Erike Von Heiland, a former juniors champion in the Philippines, was eliminated in the women’s singles.
Sandra Bacher and Liliko Ogasawara, both of Japanese decent, were ousted in women’s judo. Roger Mar and John McNally failed to medal in men’s shooting.
But the U.S. table tennis team, comprised mostly of APAs, continues to advance. Amy Feng and Lily Yip both won their first-round matches in women’s singles. In women’s doubles, however, Yip and Wei Wang lost to the Russian pair of Irina Palina and Yelena Timina, 21-14, 21-11.
Asian Pacific American athletes are also competing in baseball, women’s volleyball, and women’s soccer-all still in contention for the gold medal.
Yoko Zetterlund, born in San Francisco and raised in Japan, played a key role in the U.S.-China game last week as the U.S. team’s setter. The Chinese, however, prevailed in four sets.
Kim Ly Maher, who was born in Saigon and now lives in Fresno, is a member of the undefeated U.S. women’s softball team, which won the gold medal.
On the women’s soccer team, also undefeated, is Tiffany Roberts, a 19-year-old resident of San Bruno, Calif. With the U.S. baseball team, which has lost only one game, is Jim Vo Parque, a left-handed pitcher and economics student at UCLA.
There were no APA athletes competing in the glamour sports of swimming and track and field. But their presence, particularly in team sports, has made the U.S. contingent stronger.
Chow, whose parents are both immigrants from Hong Kong, may emerge as the most recognizable APA athlete. But, the last week of the Summer Games may offer some surprises.
Westbrook, who has been in three Olympics, said just being part of the Atlanta Olympiad is a personal triumph.
"It’s an awesome experience," said Westbrook, who won a bronze in the Los Angeles Games in 1984. "I’m 44, and I’m still here. Nothing can beat that."
Westbrook, who took up fencing under the encouragement of his mother, a Japanese American, will now pass on his skills to inner-city youths in New York, where he has set up a fencing school. The Summer Games may not produce an Asian Pacific American athlete with the stature of Greg Louganis, the great diver, but young APAs should be inspired just watching the games.