BEIJING — No runner-up finish to her friend and rival this time. Nastia Liukin won the biggest prize of all.

Liukin edged teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women's gymnastics today in an intense matchup that lived up to its billing at the Beijing Games. Liukin finished with 63.325 points, a mere six-tenths ahead of Johnson, the reigning world champion who beat Liukin at the U.S. championships and Olympic trials only a few weeks ago.

Yang Yilin of China won the bronze.

Liukin paced back and forth as Johnson competed on floor, the final competitor of the day, clapping as her teammate floated high in the air. In the end, it was Liukin who soared. When Johnson's score was posted and Liukin saw she was the winner tears filled her eyes. Her father and coach Valeri grabbed her in a bearhug, squeezing her tight for several minutes.

Valeri Liukin was a double gold medalist for the Soviet Union 20 years ago, but came up achingly short in a rivalry with his own teammate in the all-around.

There would be no such disappointment for his only child.

"It's not possible to describe how proud I am," Valeri Liukin said afterward. "It's just an amazing feeling."

Liukin blinked back tears with a smile when she was introduced as the gold medalist.

For China, it was the first disappointment on the gymnastics floor. The Chinese won both the men's and women's team titles, and Yang Wei ran away with the men's all-around gold yesterday.

But this was no surprise. Johnson and Liukin have been the world's two best gymnasts for two years now, and most expected the teammates would be each other's biggest competition. Johnson came in with all the momentum, winning every matchup with Liukin but one in the last few years.

It was Liukin's grace under pressure, though, that made the difference. And it had to, with everything coming down to the very last event, and the last two performers.

Long and lean, Liukin has the elegance and classic lines of her mother, a former world champion in rhythmic gymnastics, and she uses it to perfection. While other gymnasts tumble on the floor, their music little more than background noise, Liukin puts on a performance. Every wave of her arm and brush of her fingertips ooze emotion, making it easy to forget about those tough tricks she was doing.

Liukin is the second straight American to win the all-around crown, succeeding training partner Carly Patterson.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

BEIJING — The United States stopped the pick-and-rolls — and just about everything else — to beat Greece, 92-69, yesterday at the Beijing Olympics. Batting away balls or swatting shots on seemingly every possession late in the second quarter, the Americans broke open a close game and went on to win big. China also won, getting 30 points from Yao Ming in an 85-68 win over Angola. Kobe Bryant and Chris Bosh each scored 18 points for the United States (3-0), which clinched a spot in the medal round and moves on to a matchup of Group B unbeatens Saturday against world champion Spain. The winner will earn the group's top seed for the quarterfinals. Dwyane Wade added 17 points and LeBron James scored 13.

TENNIS

BEIJING — Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Venus Williams all lost their Olympic quarterfinal matches last night. Federer was the first to go down, to James Blake of the United States. Serena Williams fell to soft-serving Russian Elena Dementieva, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. And Venus Williams fell victim to China's Li Na, 7-5, 7-5. Blake kissed the American flag on his shirt after knocking off a frustrated Federer 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

TRACK AND FIELD

BEIJING — Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay advanced out of their first heats in the Olympic 100-meter dash. Gay, racing for the first time since hurting his left hamstring at the U.S. Olympic trials, had no trouble winning his heat today, crossing the line in 10.22 seconds. Bolt, the world record-holder from Jamaica who will also run in the 200, opened the day with a slow start but was able to coast to the finish and win his heat in an energy-saving 10.20. His countryman, Powell, got off to a good start then jogged in to win his heat in 10.16. All three race later today in quarterfinals.

SOFTBALL

BEIJING — Forced to play two games in one day, the U.S. softball team scored four unearned runs in the sixth inning and beat Canada, 8-1, today, running its Olympic winning streak to 18. After beating Japan 7-0, the Americans resumed their suspended game with Canada (3-1) from yesterday trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning. The three-time defending gold medalists were five outs away from suffering their first loss since the 2000 Games, when Canadian shortstop Jennifer Salling made two errors. And pitcher Dione Meier hit a batter with the bases loaded to force in the tying run and threw a wild pitch to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead. Cat Osterman pitched three no-hit innings for the U.S. (4-0). Jessica Mendoza hit a pair of two-run homers, Natasha Watley homered leading off the game and Crystl Bustos banged another one over the wall in the win over Japan (3-1).

BASEBALL

BEIJING — Michel Enriquez lined a go-ahead two-run single to right in the 11th inning and defending champion Cuba (3-0) stayed unbeaten in the Olympic baseball tournament with a 5-4 victory over the United States (1-2) today. Earlier, Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Matt LaPorta hit a three-run homer and Matt Brown added a solo shot as the Americans bounced back from losing their opener by beating the Netherlands, 7-0. The game was called off after eight innings following a second rain delay.

FENCING

BEIJING — The Three Musketeers of the U.S. women's saber team weren't so good as a team. After sweeping the individual medals, Mariel Zagunis, Sada Jacobson and Becca Ward settled for bronze after a surprising loss in the semifinals. They were knocked off by Ukraine, which went on to win gold.

WRESTLING

BEIJING — Remember Rulon Gardner's glorious victory in Sydney? Good, because there won't be one like it this time. Adam Wheeler unexpectedly won bronze at 96 kilograms, but that was it as Dremiel Byers and Brad Vering, Americans' top Greco-Roman wrestlers, were bounced. Golds went to Cuba's Mijain Lopez in the 120-kilogram division, Aslanbek Khushtov in 96 kg and Italy's Andrea Minguzzi in 84 kg.

BOXING

BEIJING — China, which has never won a gold medal in a sport long banned by Mao, has seven boxers left in the tournament. So does Russia, which produced three champions and eight medals at last year's world championships. Russia's disappointment, and China's elation, came together in a light heavyweight bout, with Zhang Xiaoping upsetting Artur Beterbiev, 8-2.

SHOOTING

BEIJING — China's Du Li won the women's 50-meter, three-position rifle event and set an Olympic record in points. Katerina Emmons, the Czech Republic shooter who won that first event, took the silver. In skeet shooting, American Kim Rhode was part of a three-way tie decided by a shoot-off — in the rain. Rhode wound up with a silver to go with the double trap gold she won in 1996 and 2004; the women's version was eliminated before Beijing. Italy's Chiara Cainero took the gold.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

BEIJING — Athens gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor overcame five set points in the first set to beat Belgium, 24-22, 21-10, today and advance to the quarterfinals of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament. It was the 105th consecutive victory for the Americans. Liesbeth Mouha and Liesbet van Breedam led 18-12 and 20-17 in the first set of the best-of-three. USA's Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs also advanced with a 21-15, 21-13, victory over Tamara Larrea and Dalixia Fernandez of Cuba.

TABLE TENNIS

BEIJING — While the Chinese women easily reached the semifinals and China's top-ranked men defeated Australia, the pressure of the Olympics seems to be getting to Wang Liqin. The two-time medalist needed four close games to beat a 147th-ranked foe and acknowledges he's struggling to live up to gold-or-bust expectations.The U.S. women advanced to the bronze medal round.

DOPING

BEIJING — A two-time North Korean medalist in shooting and a Vietnamese gymnast have failed doping tests at the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee says both athletes have been kicked out of the Games after testing positive for banned substances. Shooter Kim Jong Su was stripped of his silver medal Friday in the 50-meter pistol and bronze in the 10-meter air pistol. Gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do finished 82nd and last in the women's floor exercises.