Russian Gymnast Khorkina was one good floor routine from tumbling her way into history. With a sizzling performance on the mat Friday night, the lanky Russian starlet became the first person, man or woman, to win three all-around gold medals at the World Gymnastics Championships. Her 9.675 on floor clinched it.

Zhang Nan waves after winning the bronze medal in the Women's Individual All-Around Finals at the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Aug. 22, 2003. [AP]

Competing in what will almost surely be her last world championships, the Russian was great on everything she touched. Her specialty is the uneven bars — she has two moves named after her on the event — and she didn't disappoint.

Gliding and twisting from bar to bar, looping her long legs over and around the apparatus, Khorkina did it like nobody else. She scored a 9.662.

Still, the highlight was the floor exercise, where she hit tough jump combination after tough jump combination, giving the judges little to be critical of.

Of course, tumbling and jumping was only part of the presentation. As always, Khorkina commanded the floor — and everybody's attention.

She was a show-woman in the broadest sense — strutting, shaking and dancing her way through the routine. It ended with a graceful leap that left her face-down on the mat. She followed with a seductive roll onto her back and a devilish look to the side. When the drama finally ended, she stood up and blew kisses to the adoring crowd.

She received the gold medal — the 10th she's won in major international competition — and her face glistened. Earlier in the week, she said this would likely be her last world championships and next year in Greece, her last Olympics.

Finishing third was Zhang Nan, who gave China the bronze it lost in the team competition when her teammate was penalized .2 points for illegally warming up. The teammate, Ye Fan, was supposed to compete in the all-around, but was replaced by another teammate, Kang Xin. No explanation for the change was immediately given. Kang ranked 7th.

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