Chinese gymnast Cheng Fei (C) poses with runners-up Lauren Michell of Australia (L) and Chellsie Memmel of the US (R) after winning the beam title at the Olympic gymnastics test event in Beijing on Monday, December 3, 2007.

Dec.4 - Cheng Fei, China's No.1 in women squad, dished out the beam title, her third after vault and floor victories, at the gymnastics Olympic test event on Monday. Lauren Michell of Australia finished second in 15.600. Both Cheng and Michell got a difficulty valued 6.7, the best among the finalists, but Cheng's quality score is 9.025, a slim 0.125 points better than her Australian opponent. U.S. veteran Chellsie Memmel, the 2005 world all-around champion, was third in 15.300. She was the top qualifier in finals. The 19-year-old Cheng, three-time vault world champion in a row, managed the place in finals as she fell off the beam in qualifications. But Cheng rallied from qualifying mistake to execute her routine through in finals as the last performance. She staggered on beam in her second move of back somersault, but avoided a drop. Cheng Fei, the reigning world vault champion, swept past her opponents in floor and vault in the tournament. Cheng, three-times vault world champion in a row, spearheaded Chinese women team to its first world victory ever before claiming two individual golds in vault and floor at last year's world championships. Memmel, who is recovering from injuries, won her second bronze here after finishing third in floor. Memmel won the all-around title and took silvers in beam and uneven bars at the 2005 world championships, but the shoulder injury bothered her at last year's worlds, where she have to quit the all-around after finishing first in qualifications. Memmel was absent from this year's world championships and missed U.S. first women's team title ever. Canadian Kristina Vaculik and Greek Stefani Bismpikou both fell off the beam during their routines.