Photo gallery: Jubilation at the 2009 World Championships

October 24, 8:17 PMGymnastics ExaminerBlythe Lawrence

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Japan's Koko Tsurumi grins after receiving her silver medal for uneven bars.
AP Photo/Alastair Grant

What will you remember most about the 2009 World Championships?

For me, it will be the history-making performances of Alexander Shatilov, Beth Tweddle, Daniel Keatings, Lauren Mitchell, Koko Tsurumi, Ariella Kaeslin, Marian Dragulescu and Flavius Koczi.

Shatilov trains in Israel, a country with no gymnastics history to speak of and little funding. Mitchell, known around the world for her calm handling of an incredibly hard beam routine, finally broke through with two individual world medals, for beam and also for floor exercise.

Tweddle and Keatings now carry the standard for British gymnastics, which hopes for an equally good (or better?) showing at the 2012 Olympics in London. They've set the home country up well for future success.

Tsurumi gave Japan its first world medal in women's gymnastics in 43 years, while Dragulescu described his and Koczi's 1-2 finish in the vault final as a victory for all of Romania. Kaeslin's silver medal on vault is also the first world medal for her country in women's gymnastics.

A photo gallery featuring them and others is below. Bravo to all.