g3 － day 11.

OK, the late-night Olympics is officially kicking my ass. With a little less than a week to go, I'm suffering from a severe case of OSES, Olympic Spectator Exhaustion Syndrome. How about you － can I get a witness?

Still, it was with some sleep-deprived sadness that we said "zai jian" (Chinese for goodbye, it's pronounced "zay jee-ahn") to women's gymnastics last night, but what a fine finish for Team USA. The self-described "daredevil with a big smile" and three-time silver medalist Shawn Johnson [above] finally got her gold on with a brilliant balance beam performance, while her American teammate and Olympic roommate, Nastia Liukin, delivered an equally exceptional execution, but with a slightly simpler routine that earned her the silver. China's Cheng Fei got the bronze.

For Johnson, 16, of West Des Moines, IA, it was her fourth medal of the Beijing Games, having silvered in the team competition, on floor exercise, and just behind Liukin in the all-around. Liukin, 18, of Parker, TX, will haul home five medals, having also silvered as part of the women's team and on the uneven bars, getting the bronze on floor exercise, and winning the all-around.

The U.S. women's gymnastic team ends their Olympic experience at the top of the medal board, with a total of eight medals; runner-up China earned six.

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Track and field competition continues to deliver some stunning surprises for Team USA women ...

American Lolo Jones, 26, of Des Moines, IA, went into the 100-meter hurdles race a huge favorite. She had a huge lead coming to the close of the race, when she had a huge snafu, slamming her foot into the ninth of ten hurdles. Scrambling to balance herself, Jones slipped to seventh place for the final, leaving the gold to teammate Dawn Harper, 24, of East St. Louis, who had barely qualified to come to the Olympics at all, snatching the last spot by a sliver of 0.007 seconds.

Australian Sally Mclellan earned the silver and Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep got the bronze.

Similarly, American Sanya Richards went into the 400-meter race having been number one in the world for the last three years － but tell it to her right hamstring. Like Jones, Richards, 23, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, started strong and was leading heading into the final 80 meters of the race, when her right hamstring began to tighten up. A grimacing Richards was passed by twice, but still managed to medal, getting the bronze.

Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogo won the gold, and Jamaica's Shericka Williams earned the silver. Ohuruogo was cleared in November to compete in Beijing when she won her appeal against a lifetime Olympic ban for missing three out-of-competition drug tests.

The ecstasy & the agony continue ... it's increasingly clear why the drama-loving Greeks were so into the Olympic Games, isn't it?