Kabaeva leads rhythmic qualifying

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Defending rhythmic gymnastics world champion Alina Kabaeva of Russia lost a ribbon and had a club bounce off her hand but still finished first in qualifying Friday with 105.875 points.

Fellow Russian Irina Tchachina, third at last year's world championships, finished second. Anna Bessonova of Ukraine was third.

Kabaeva, a two-time world champion, also dropped a hoop on Thursday. The only clean routine she had was in ball.

"I am satisfied," Kabaeva said. "As far as Sunday's final, only God knows what will happen. I am very positive."

And better for Kabaeva to get her slippery fingers out of the way now. She was the overwhelming favorite for gold in Sydney, but she had to settle for bronze when her hoop went skittering off the mat in the finals.

Her mistakes weren't that glaring Friday. In her first routine, with the clubs, Kabaeva tossed one club high into the air and then the other. The goal was to catch them both, but one bounced off her hand and dropped onto the floor, drawing a gasp from the crowd.

In her routine with the ribbon, Kabaeva threw the kelly-green strip up, twirling as it fluttered back down. She was supposed to catch it in her left hand, but it didn't even come close.

That should have been enough for Tchachina, who looked like a matador as she pranced around the floor, whirling and swirling her deep red ribbon.

But Tchachina had a blunder of her own. In her second routine, she was flipping her clubs in her hands, a move easier for rhythmic gymnasts than picking out their eye shadow. But one slipped out of her hands, and a look of surprise crossed Tchachina's face.

While rhythmic gymnastics is widely popular in Europe -- the Galatsi Olympic Hall was packed with raucous fans -- most in the United States don't quite get it yet. All that dancing and twirling with ropes, hoops, balls, ribbons and clubs is a little confusing to people used to seeing gymnasts flipping and tumbling.