LIVERPOOL -- Teenager Hazuki Watanabe, originally chosen as an alternate, capped a Cinderella story by winning a gold medal at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships and becoming Japan's youngest-ever female world champion in the sport.
A late injury opened a place in the Japanese squad for Watanabe, and she responded by overcoming jitters and winning the women's balance beam gold with 13.600 points on Sunday, the final day of the nine-day championships in Liverpool.
"It's the most nervous I've ever been," Watanabe said. "My legs were shaking during the routine. But even with that tension, having no big mistakes and plowing through to the end give me a little boost of confidence."
