GYMNASTICS / WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS : Stomachache May Have Helped Miller Win Gold

Shannon Miller’s upset stomach Saturday didn’t stop the American gymnast from adding the uneven bars title to the all-around gold she won at the World Championships.

It may even have helped.

Miller’s coach, Steve Nunno, pulled the 16-year-old out of the vault final so she could rest and concentrate on the uneven bars, one of her strongest events.

A puzzled buzz went around the National Exhibition Center when Miller did not appear for the vault final, won by Yelena Piskoun of Belarus with a score of 9.762.

But the 4-foot-9 Miller appeared for the uneven bars final to throw everything into her one routine of the day. She scored a 9.887, the best of either men’s or women’s competition with one day of the six-day championships to go.

“I felt that it was probably most important that rather than risk an injury on the vault we would save the energy she had and go for gold on the bars,” Nunno said.

Miller, who won two silver and three bronze medals at the Barcelona Olympics, had only one thing on her mind.

“I certainly was hoping to win gold,” Miller said. “It’s the best routine I have done since I have been here. My coach made the decision to pull me out of the vault. It would have been harder to medal in that, anyway.”

Dominique Dawes won the silver with a 9.800 to make it a first-ever 1-2 finish for the United States in a world championship event.

“I was very excited when I won the silver medal since I made a small mistake on the routine,” said Dawes, 16, of Silver Spring, Md.

Miller was not the only one to feel shaky.

Vitali Scherbo of Belarus, who won six gold medals at last year’s Olympics and won the men’s all-around title in this event, finished last on the pommel horse after two mistakes landed him back on the floor.

First, he broke the rules by touching the apparatus with his feet and had to stop. Then, he lost balance and slipped back onto the floor for an 8.125, easily the worst score of the eight finalists.

By contrast, North Korean Pae Gil Su never wavered on the pommel, scoring 9.750 for the gold medal.

Germany’s Andreas Wecker, third in the all-around final Thursday, finished second in the pommel and won two silvers in one day. He also placed second on the rings, which was won by Yuri Chechi for Italy’s first-ever gold in the World Championships.

Scherbo tied for second in the floor exercises behind Gregori Misiutin of Ukraine, who scored a 9.400 to win gold. Scherbo and Britain’s Neil Thomas scored 9.350.

Second place for Thomas provided the host nation with its first world championship silver in 104 years of competition. Britain has never won a gold.