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Downie: Rising Star
"I was aiming to get into the top 24 and make the final. I knew it was possible."
Becky Downie
Women's individual all-round:
Gold: Nastia Liukin (USA)
Silver: Shawn Johnson (USA)
Bronze: Yang Yilin (Chn)
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Teenage gymnast Becky Downie recorded Great Britain's best-ever finish in the individual all-round final, finishing 12th.
The 16-year old squeezed into the final in the 24th and final qualifying place, but she went on to surpass expectations in recording a score of 59.450.
The Nottingham-born youngster scored 15.625 on the asymmetric bars, 15.025 on the vault, 14.700 on the pummel horse 14.100 for her floor routine.
"I'm really happy," she said. "I couldn't have hoped for much better. It went really well today.
"I was aiming to get into the top 24 and make the final," she said. "I knew it was possible.
"I only just qualified, but I pushed myself up the rankings today. Everything went really well today. I just wanted to do my best and enjoy it."
The previous best was set by Beth Tweddle who finished 19th four years ago, and Downie's display follows on from Daniel Keatings' 20th place in the men's final of the same event yesterday.
Valuable Experience
Meanwhile, another debutant, Rebecca Galantree, was unable to qualify for the women's individual 3m springboard after achieving a score of 232.75.
The Leeds-based diver looked solid aerially, but her entries continued to see her marked down by the judges, the final total falling well short of qualifying leader, China's Guo Jingjing, who managed a score of 373.90.
"These Olympics for me are all about experience. It's my first Games as it is for most of the young British squad and the aim is to gain an insight and invaluable lessons," Galantree said.
"I'm improving all the time and growing as a diver, days like today add so much to that.
"I'm disappointed not to be in that next round but I know this whole Olympic adventure will serve me well as I look to 2012."
