Leading German gymnast Fabian Hambuechen [file photo]

Leading German gymnast Fabian Hambuechen said on Tuesday that he needs a perfect day in the coming gymnastics all-around final of the Beijing Olympic Games.

The German men failed to clinch a medal and only finished the fourth in the team final with 274.6 points. Hambuechen made a fatal mistake in horizontal bar and fell from the apparatus.

The gold went to China with 286.125 points. Japan and the United States took silver and bronze respectively.

"I am a little bit angry with myself as I made mistakes in high bar. But we still did a good job today. Before the competition, we knew that we would need a perfect day to get a medal. Today the United States has a perfect day and gets the bronze medal. Now I am looking forward to a medal in the all-around final," said Hambuechen in the mixed zone after the competition.

The German team took the bronze in the World Championships last year, under the leadership of talented Hambuechen.

"Last year we had so much fun in competition as everybody is cheering for you. Now all the audience are cheering for China. The competition made fun definitely, but not so much as last year," said Hambuechen.

As for his mistake in high bar, the gymnast added "it is difficult to explain. The timing was not right when I tried to correct myself in doing this turn. I missed the bar and that happened. I won't let such things happen in all-around final."

"I have no goal in all-around, just will try my best. We will see and have a good chance to know about it. For that I need a perfect day," said Hambuechen.

The 20-year-old athlete was the winner in horizontal bar and the silver medalists in all-around in the 2007 World Championships. He ranks the second in the men's all-around qualification of the Beijing Olympic Games.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12,  2008)