The normally icy cool Russian, last up on the beam, burst into tears after her flawed routine as Romania's Simona Amanar scored 9.7 on the horizontal bar to clinch the title.

Romania finished with 153.527 points, Russia had 153.209 and China took the bronze with 152.423 thanks mainly to a strong display on the uneven bars.

The Romanians got off to a disastrous start when all-round world silver medallist Amanar slipped off the beam, bumping her thigh painfully as she fell. Minutes later, team mate Corina Ungureanu also fell, earning a dismal 8.2.

Fortunes were reversed in the final rotation when first Russia's Eugenia Kuznetsova and then Khorkina fell from the beam.

``We were very lucky,'' said Romanian coach Octavian Bellu. ``There was a lot of pressure on the girls to do betterafter the first mistakes.

``We knew Russia and all the other teams in the final were all very close and had a chance to be on the podium.''

Russian coach Leonid Arkaev did not comment on the result but Russian delegation leader Marina Boulachenko said the team appeared devastated. They did not shake hands with the Romanians at the medal ceremony.

``They're just in shock,'' said Boulachenko. ``It was in our hands.''

Russia made a commanding start on the floor where Khorkina mesmerised the audience with a saucy routine to a lilting Latin beat, earning 9.8.

She also excelled on the bars, scoring 9.825, while team mate and world all-round bronze medallist Elena Produnova's acrobatic bars routine earned her 9.75.

But the defending champions fought back with an almost impeccable display on the floor, where Amanar took 9.812, Raducan 9.8, Olaru 9.775, and Boboc and Ungureanu 9.7 each.

Amanar's vault score of 9.737 was the highest in the final by far.

China's women equalled Russia's tally on theuneven bars, with Huang Mandan and Ling Jie taking 9.787 each and team captain Liu Xuan scoring 9.775, but were let down by the vault where their highest score was Liu's 9.325.