|
Gymnast Lee Dockins, the last Kentucky athlete to have a chance at a medal celebrates one of her three on the medal stand at the World Summer Games |
|
She had to wait longer than any other Kentucky athlete for her shot at earning a medal at the 2007 World Summer Games, but once she got that opportunity, gymnast Lee Dockins of Russellville, made the most of it overnight on Tuesday (Eastern time).
Dockins posted scores of 7.650 in the Floor Exercise and 84.25 in the Vault to claim Gold Medals in both events. She also grabbed a Silver Medal in the Uneven Bars with a score of 7.212. Dockins finished fourth in her division of both the Balance Beam and the All-Around competition.
Also on Tuesday night, Lexington bowler Andrew Browning finished his World Games competitive experience with a fifth-place finish in the singles competition. Browning bowled a three-game 390 series to finish just 25 pins out of the Bronze Medal slot. Tze Ching Chung of Hong Kong bowled a final-game 155 to claim the Gold Medal.
Taylor Mill runner Matt Minning was the final Kentucky athlete still competing when he took to the track overnight on Wednesday (Eastern Time -- Thursday morning in Shanghai) to run both the 4x400-meter Relay and the 10,000-meter run, and extremely difficult one-day double.
Minning's team completed the relay in 4:39.91, finishing fourth. It was seven seconds off the team's preliminary time which had been fastest in their division. China ran a 4:05.06, 36 seconds faster than their preliminary time to claim the Gold Medal. Macau took the Sivler and Costa Rica the Bronze.
There's a chance Minning was still a little winded when it came time to run his leg of rthe 4x400, and who could blame him? Early on Thursday morning, Minning claimed Siler in the 10,000-meter run, one of the longest events contested on the track. Minning ran a time of 40:46.62, just 38 seconds behind Gold Medalist Dmitry Kuzenkov of Russia. Luis Munoz of Costa Rica took the Bronze.
The Games closed on Thursday evening with a rousing Closing Ceremonies and the Kentucky athletes and coaches will soon be on their way back to the United States. They will return to Los Angeles on Friday, Oct.12 for one night, before finally returning to Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 13. The team will fly into Louisville International Airport at 3:25 pm. The public is welcome to come out and help welcome the team home.
Meet the Kentucky Athletes
Complete 2007 World Games Archive
