Women's vault competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

 was held on August 17 at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium

Beijing National Indoor Stadium

The Beijing National Indoor Stadium, also known as the National Indoor Stadium , is an indoor arena that is located in the Olympic Green in Beijing, China. The stadium was constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics...

.

The eight competitors (with a maximum of two per nation) with the highest scores in qualifying proceeded to the women's vault

Vault (gymnastics)

The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...

 finals. There, each gymnast performed two vaults; the scores from the final round (ignoring qualification) determining the final ranking.

Disputes of the Event

There is a major debate concerning the Russian Gymnast Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova (gymnast)

Anna Anatolyevna Pavlova , is a Russian artistic gymnast training at MGFSO Dynamo in Moscow who was a double bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. She is well known for her beautiful balletic style and clean technique. She is trained by her mother Nataliya Evgenevna Pavlova...

. Her first vault scored a 15.625, placing her well in medal contention. On her second vault, though, she thought she had received confirmation from the judges and as a result, left before the green light. She was given a 0 on her second vault.

Another debate centers around Cheng Fei

Cheng Fei

Cheng Fei is a Chinese gymnast. She is a three-time World Champion on the vault and 2006 World Champion on floor exercise. She was a member of the gold medal-winning Chinese teams for the 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Aarhus, Denmark and 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China...

, who fell on her second vault (but still receives a high 15.050, due to her high difficulty). Her first vault, receiving a 16.075 saved her for a bronze medal in the event, dragging Alicia Sacramone

Alicia Sacramone

Alicia Marie Sacramone is an American artistic gymnast.Sacramone began gymnastics at the age of eight, began competing in the elite ranks in 2002 and joined the U.S. national team in 2003. At US National Championships from 2004 to 2008, she won twelve medals, including four golds on vault and two...

's two very solid vaults down to fourth place.

Final

Position	Gymnast	Vault 1				Vault 2				Total
		A Score	B Score	Penalty	Vault Score	A Score	B Score	Penalty	Vault Score
		6.500	9.350	0.300	15.550	6.500	9.250		15.750	15.650
		6.300	9.425		15.725	6.000	9.425		15.425	15.575
		6.500	9.575		16.075	6.500	8.550		15.050	15.562
4		6.300	9.450		15.750	5.800	9.525		15.325	15.537
5		6.300	9.100		15.400	5.500	9.200		14.700	15.050
6		5.800	9.225	0.100	14.925	5.900	8.275		14.175	14.550
7		5.800	8.925		14.725	5.600	8.650		14.250	14.487
8		6.500	9.125		15.625	0.000	0.000		0.000	7.812*

*Pavlova had the second vault disqualified due to a false start.

Qualified competitors

Position	Gymnast	Vault 1				Vault 2				Total
		A Score	B Score	Penalty	Vault Score	A Score	B Score	Penalty	Vault Score
1		6.500	9.650		16.150	6.500	9.175		15.675	15.912
2		6.500	9.150		15.650	6.500	9.300		15.800	15.725
3		6.300	9.550		15.850	5.800	9.600		15.400	15.625
4		6.300	9.500		15.800	5.700	9.550		15.250	15.525
5		5.800	9.550		15.350	5.600	9.600		15.200	15.275
6		5.800	9.300		15.100	5.900	9.275		15.175	15.137
7		5.800	9.400	0.100	15.100	5.600	9.400		15.000	15.050
8		6.300	8.925		15.225	5.500	9.225		14.725	14.975