Korean rhythmic gymnast Son makes first Olympic final

 Son Yeon-jae became the first South Korean rhythmic gymnast to make an Olympic final at qualifications for the individual all-around event on Thursday.

Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae smiles after performing in the ribbon segment at the individual all-around event on Thursday in London. (Yonhap News)

Son put together solid performances in clubs and the ribbon, earning 26.350 points and 28.050 points, respectively. She earned a total of 110.3 in all the four routines, finishing sixth.

Son performs in clubs at the individual all-around event on Thursday in London. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)

“I‘ve prepared so hard for the Olympics, and my primary goal is to reach the final,” she said before the Thursday match. 

“I was surprised with such a high score in hoop. I made a mistake in ball, but I am confident I can put up good scores in clubs and ribbon, too.”

The top 10 gymnasts will qualify for Saturday’s final.

The 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games bronze medalist is one of South Korea’s star athletes who often appear in TV commercials.

(yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)