2008 Beijing Games Day 5

USA Gymnastic’s Nastia Liukin performs her floor exercise routine during the women’s team final at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing.  (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)

U.S. gymnast Alicia Sacramone is upside down on the balance beam in the women’s team finals.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Sacramone loses her balance on the beam in the women’s gymnastics team finals.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Sacramone falls backward, hurting the chances for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to win gold.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Shawn Johnson of the U.S. jumps from the balance beam.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

China’s Jiang Yuyuan is all smiles during her floor exercise in the women’s team finals at the National Indoor Stadium.  (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)

Chinese gymnast Li Shanshan does a flip on the balance beam in the women’s team finals.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Chinese women’s gymnastics team celebrates a gold-medal win over Team USA in the team finals.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

China clinches the gold and the U.S. silver. China’s score: 188.900. U.S. score: 186.525

Romania wins bronze with 181.525.

The U.S. soccer team stands before the flag during the national athem. The U.S. played Nigeria and lost 2-1.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Benny Feilhaber, center, and Brian McBride of the U.S. battle for the ball with Nigeria’s Chibuzor Okonkwo during a Group B soccer match. The U.S. lost the game and was eliminated from play.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. goalie Brad Guzan comes out of the box to help on defense as teammate Robbie Rogers tries to block Nigeria’s Victor Anichebe from getting the ball.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Brian McBride of the U.S. men’s soccer team heads the ball against Nigeria’s Efe Ambrose during a Group B match.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Michael Phelps dives into the water to begin the men’s 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay for the U.S., which won the event and gave Phelps his fifth gold medal of the Beijing Games.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. relay swimmer Peter Vanderkaay leaps into the pool after teammate Ricky Berens touches the wall with no other team in sight during the men’s 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

American swimmer Michael Phelps cheers on teammate Ryan Lochte as Peter Vanderkaay waits to swim the anchor leg during the men’s 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte greet friends and family poolside after they received their 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay gold medals.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Michael Phelps, from left, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay step up to the podium to accept gold medals for the men’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Kai Qin, foreground, and Feng Wang hold their form as they dive during the Men’s 3 meter Synchronized Springboard final at Beijing’s National Aquatic Center.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Russian divers Dmitry Sautin, bottom, and Yuriy Kunakov stay in synch as they do multiple flips at the Men’s 3-meter Synchronized Diving final Wednesday.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. divers Chris Colwill, foreground, and Jevon Tarantino are a out of synch as they dive during the Men’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard final at Beijing’s National Aquatics Center. Colwill and Tarantino came in fourth.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. Women’s Basketball center Sylvia Fowles steals the ball from Mali center Djenebou Sissoko in the first half of a preliminary game Wednesday.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. forward Tina Thompson keeps the away ball from Mali defender Meiya Tireira in the second half of a preliminary round game.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Mali forward Kadiatou Kanoute struggles to control the ball as she is defended by U.S. center Sylvia Fowles.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S second baseman Jayson Nix leaps in the air to throw out a runner at first base late in the game against Korea.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Korea center-fielder Jongwook Lee is embraced by teammate Hyuk Kwon after scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the U.S. team, 8-7.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Fans are warned in two languages of the dangers of sitting close too the action during the U.S. versus Korea baseball game.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)