Proof That Russia's Svetlana Khorkina Could Have Dominated 2000 Sydney Olympics

Here is why Russia's Svetlana Khorkina could have dominated the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Photo by Sing Lo She finished in the top...

Here is why Russia's Svetlana Khorkina could have dominated the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Photo by Sing Lo

She finished in the top eight on three of the four events.

She originally qualified to vault finals but generously gave up her spot to teammate Yelena Zamoloditchkova.

Sveta nervously watching Zamo in vault finals

She along with her teammates qualified first to the team final.

She also qualified first to the all around final

The Russian team was the most powerful team in the competition. It took them five uncharacteristic errors to lose the gold medal to the Romanian team.

She was one of the gymnasts who vaulted on the incorrectly set vault during the all around final which made her fall. Psychologically devastated, she did not perform her best on the following apparatus, the uneven bars.  Half way through the competition the error was corrected (vault) and the gymnasts who had already vaulted were allowed to vault again but Khorkina refused as it was too late. It is believed that Khorkina had really a good chance of winning the all around gold medal, had the vault been set at the correct height.

She defended her Olympic title on uneven bars

And won silver on floor exercise.

By Gigi Farid