Universal Sports offers refund for gymnastics live feed glitch

Gymnastics fans who paid for the Universal Sports live web feed of the world gymnastics championships this week and who missed the gold medal-winning performance on the vault Saturday of American Alicia Sacramone can ask for a refund.

Viewers paid either $14.99 or $9.99 (a USA Gymnastics discount) for the live feed of the men's and women's team finals, the men's and women's all-around finals and the event finals (which conclude Sunday).

According to a Universal Sports spokesman there was a "technical problem" with the live feed Saturday from Rotterdam, Netherlands, so viewers who had paid saw only a blank screen instead of the vault. What made it worse for some subscribers was that they did see the medal presentation. Universal Sports television will have a broadcast of Saturday's event finals, including Sacramone's gold, beginning at 5 p.m. PT.

Anyone who feels they are due a refund should e-mail http://www.universalsports.com/contact-us.html.

-- Diane Pucin