Nemov claims sixth Olympic medal

Nemov in action on the horizontal bar

Gymnast Alexei Nemov became the leading medal winner at the Sydney Games when he took gold in the horizontal bar.

The 24-year-old Russian took his haul to six, equalling his Atlanta tally four years ago.

He has now taken gold in the all-around event and horizontal bar as well as silver in the floor exercise and bronze in team, pommel horse and parallel bars.

"I was lucky today," Nemov said. "Actually, I cold be pleased with one gold medal, and the victory in the horizontal bar competitions is an excellent result for me.

"We shall attend a reception tomorrow night, and I shall drink as much champagne as I can."

Nemov captured six medals in 1996, the most of any athlete, including gold in team and vault, silver in all-around and bronzes in horizontal bar, pommel horse and floor.

Hopes

He was hoping four six gold medals this time around but saw his hopes go up in smoke with bronze in the team event.

In the horizontal bar, Nemov finished just ahead of Benjamin Varonian of France and Lee Joo-Hyung of South Korea.

Xiaopeng took gold in the parallel bars

Earlier in the day, teenager Gervasio Deferr upset the favourites in the men's vault.

Thanks to a score of 9.712, the Spanish 19-year-old finished well ahead of Russian Alexei Bondarenko and Poland's Leszek Blanik.

Nemov could only finish fourth but later claimed bronze in the parallel bars to pocket his fifth medal, matching American swimmer Dara Torres.

Alone

China's Li Xiaopeng won the parallel bars with 9.825 points, although only one judge named him alone as the top performer.

Reigning world parallel bars champion Lee Joo-Hyung of South Korea scored 9.812 to edge Nemov, who finished at 9.800.

Ivan Ivankov, who missed the 1996 Olympics after tearing his right Achilles tendon two weeks before the Atlanta Games, missed his last chance to capture an Olympic medal at these Games after disappointment in qualifying and all-around.