Olympics gymnastics: Gabby Douglas wins all-around gold

Gabby Douglas added individual all-around gold to her Olympic team title as America continued to dominate the women's gymnastics competition.

The 16-year-old Douglas, whose nickname "the Flying Squirrel" has been borne out by the heights she is hitting at London 2012, outscored Russia's Viktoria Komova by 0.259 marks.

"It just feels amazing to be called the Olympic champion," said Douglas.

Great Britain's Rebecca Tunney, 15, finished 13th on her Olympic debut.

"It's been an amazing experience; the best week of my life," said Tunney. "To compete at a home Games in front of this crowd has been incredible.

"To be the youngest in Team GB I'm very proud and I've learnt so much. I'm looking forward to the rest of the Games, the atmosphere and cheering on Team GB."

British team-mate Hannah Whelan finished in last place after scoring zero marks for her vault, Kazinform quotes BBC News.

Whelan, who had her eyes on outstripping Becky Downie's 12th place for Britain at the Beijing Olympics, completely lost her landing and was sent sprawling. The judges gave her no score.

Medals, though, were always out of British reach as America and Russia fought for the honours inside the North Greenwich Arena.

Jordyn Wieber had been the pre-Olympic favourite, but the 2011 world champion missed out to Douglas and team-mate Aly Raisman as rules allow only two qualifiers per nation.

And while Raisman faltered on the uneven bars, Douglas hit top form on each of the four pieces.

The Americans are renowned for their vaulting and Douglas put pressure on Russia's Komova and Aliya Mustafina from the outset with a score of 15.966, the highest of the competition.

Mustafina, the 2010 world champion, tumbled out of the reckoning when she fell from the beam, leaving Douglas and Komova to decide the Olympic title with their floor routines.

Though Komova, 17, narrowly outscored Douglas, it was not enough to stop the American becoming her country's third consecutive women's all-around champion.

Mustafina won a tie-break decision for bronze after she equalled Raisman's score of 59.566. The Russian "had a higher sum of final apparatus scores, adding the total of her top three apparatus scores," said a statement from the sport's organisers.

Douglas won with 62.232, ahead of Komova's 61.973. Tunney finished with 56.932, while Whelan's score was 41.999.

"You have to push it every day. It definitely feels amazing," added Douglas. "The all-around matters to me. People keep saying I'm the first black American to win the gold medal and I'm so honoured."

Whelan says she will take some time off after the Games, on the back of a deeply disappointing outing.

Beth Tweddle is the sole remaining British female in a gymnastics final at London 2012, with a place booked in the uneven bars final on Monday, the day after Louis Smith goes in the pommel horse final. Kristian Thomas competes immediately after Tweddle in the men's vault final.