Kabaeva lost complete control of her prop during the hoop rotation and was forced to chase it down several feet away. To put the error in context, fans would be only slightly more unlikely to see golfer Tiger Woods completely miss the ball on a tee shot.

Barsukova remained consistent through her four rotations to total 39.632. The silver medal went to Yulia Raskina of Belarus. Kabaeva had to scramble to save bronze.
Tie-Breaker Decides Team Gold
Russia and Belarus battled to a draw in the group event of rhythmic gymnastics, but the Russians were awarded the gold on the basis of a higher qualifying score. Greece took the bronze medal.

About Rhythmic Gymnastics
Just women here. Accompanied by music, rhythmic gymnasts perform on a floor area with various types of props -- from ropes to hoops, balls, clubs and flowing ribbons. Performers choose their own routines in the individual events, but must use four of the five apparatus. Five-member teams perform together, once with clubs and once with a combination of hoops and ribbons.
Ukraine is the power in this rather limited sport, with competition likely from Belarus, Bulgaria, Russia and Spain.