By Veronique Bury FIG Editor.

This is a fourth and historic Olympic participation for Spain's Almudena Cid. She'll be bringing a close to her career after the Individuals Final for which she qualified Friday in 10th position.

Moved to tears as her routine wound to a spectacular end, Almudena Cid impulsively dropped to her knees and kissed the mat. At the age of 28, she believed that this ribbon performance, the last qualifying apparatus, would be the final exercise in a long career in sports. After Atlanta, where she finished in 9th place, Sydney (9th) and Athens (8th), the Spanish gymnast had announced that the Beijing Olympic Games would be her last.

Clearly, she never thought she'd place in the top 10 after the error she made Thursday in her Hoop exercise. 'I don't know if I'll be going to the final.

Competition is really tough,' admitted Almudena at the close of the first day of qualifying events on Thursday. And yet, here she is. 10th in the qualifying rounds, the public's pet gymnast gets a chance to have yet another go at dazzling her fans Saturday evening at the final. 'I'm so very happy today,' she said with a smile after having literally jumped out of her chair when she saw her name light up the scoreboard. 'I never dreamed I'd go out with such a bang, after so many years in the circuit. I can hardly believe this is my last competition.'

A just reward for her long and exclusive career in Rhythmic, which she began at the age of 7 before joining the national team at 14 and being crowned Absolute Champion of Spain seven times. Coached in Barcelona by Iratxe Aurrekoetxea, Almudena Cid has always been a favourite with spectators, loved as she is for her sense of artistry, her presence and warmth, rather than for the major titles she never won, save for the Mediterranean Games in 2005.

A truly sparkling gymnast, she'll be performing again Saturday night for one last dance, her final bow. 'I'm just enjoying the moment. That was simply my greatest victory. Tomorrow is another day, and I hope to earn the best score possible.' After Beijing, this endearing young woman hopes to keep in touch with the world of RG by designing leotards, her field of study, though she admits to being in contact with a television network.