Dream Run
Success
Inaugural MLK race
draws 250 people
See story, page 3
Only on
Alberta
Street fair to
mark 15 years
See Metro, page 11
©bserlier
VolumeXXXXI
‘City 0/Roses’
Number 30
U
www.portlandobserver.com
4 2 3 Wednesday • August 8, 2012
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Gabrielle Douglas competes on floor exercises during the women’s gymnastics all-around competition at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Olympic First!
Gymnast shatters
glass ceiling
Gabrielle Douglas became the first African-
American and first woman of color to win gym ­
nastics biggest prize at the Olympic Games in
London.
The 16-year-old won the w om en’s all-around
title Thursday shattering a glass ceiling in a sport
that is enormously popular, but often seen as
competition between white and privileged contes­
tants.
Douglas rocked the house with her electric
floor routine, flashing a dazzling smile and lots of
pizzazz. She finished with a score o f62.232, about
three-tenths ahead of Viktoria Komova of Russia,
runner-up at last year's world championships.
Her victory came two nights after she and her
"Fierce Five" teammates gave the United States its
first Olympic title in the team completion since 1996.
Douglas was bom in Virginia Beach, Va. She
began training in gymnastics at age six and moved
to West Des Moines, Iowa two years ago to train
under Liang Chow, the former coach of 2008
Summer Olympics gold medal-winner Shawn
Johnson.
Gabrielle Douglas wins gold. •