Japan dethrones China, takes gold in men’s team gymnastics

Led by six-time world champion Kohei Uchimura, Japan took home the gold for men’s gymnastics team on Monday with a combined score of 274.094, their second global title in a row.

The U.S. rallied on rings and especially on vault after the slow start, but couldn’t catch Japan, Russia or defending champ China.

Kohei Uchimura stepped off the floor, saluted the crowd inside Rio Olympic Arena in Rio de Janeiro and bent over. The team occupied the first position in qualifications, with a total score of 185.238 points.

Japan captured the men’s Olympic team all-around gymnastic gold medal it craved after pulling away from the competition in imperious fashion at the Rio Games on Monday.

The Japan victory fills in on the one hole on Uchimura’s resume. Six-time world all-around champion Uchimura then sealed the only title missing from his collection. “But I compete with them, not against them”.

And relieved. No more questions about whether he can beat top rival China on the biggest stage.

For a long time, the pride of Brazilian gymnastics was Diego Hypolito and his older sister Daniele.

The five-man Japanese team, which also included Ryohei Kato, Yusuke Tanaka, Koji Yamamuro and Kenzo Shirai, had many errors. When that rotation ended and every country had put in their scores though, the USA moved down the sixth, trailing behind China, Brazil, Great Britain, Japan and Russian Federation in first.

The United States finished with a final score of 268.560, in fifth place behind Great Britain in fourth.

“By giving them a good impression, I think maybe we were able to earn a little more points”.

“Winning gold at the Olympics is incredibly hard, that is what I realised”, Uchimura said. “But we know this is the Olympic Games and this makes us stressed out”.

Dutchman Epke Zonderland, the reigning champion on the horizontal bar, advanced to the final, with world champions Shirai (floor), Britain’s Max Whitlock (pommel horse), Greece’s Eleftherios Petrounias (rings), China’s You Hao (parallel bars) and Gwang Ri Se (vault) also in the running on their speciality. His 16.133 made it almost mathematically impossible for Japan to be caught. The powerful Larduet was a revelation at worlds last fall, finishing a surprising second behind Uchimura. Not in the finals.

China scored a 270.461 in Saturday’s Olympic preliminary round.

Japan took home gold in the team competition with a score of 274.094, with Russian Federation capturing silver, and China – the 2008 and 2012 Olympic team champions, claiming bronze. “It is psychological”, he said.