Five-star Zou defends floor crown
Source: AFP |
August 6, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FIVE-STAR Zou defends floor crown
China's Zou Kai successfully defended his Olympic men's floor title yesterday to deny Japanese superstar Kohei Uchimura his second gymnastics gold medal of the London Games.
Zou's score of 15.933 was sufficient to give him his second gold medal of the competition, after his role in China's success in the team final, and his fifth Olympic gold in all.
"This medal means a lot to me," he said. "It's my fifth Olympic gold medal and I've won the most Olympic gold medals in the Chinese team now."
Zou claimed three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics four years ago and he can repeat the feat if he prevails in tomorrow's horizontal bar final.
Uchimura finished with the same score as Russia's Denis Ablyazin - 15.800 - but the Japanese took the silver medal on account of his higher execution score.
"Although I wasn't able to get gold today, I think I did really well, so I am satisfied. I have to admit that Zou Kai did very well," said Uchimura, who was crowned individual all-around champion last Wednesday.
Tomas Gonzalez, bidding to win Chile's first Olympic gymnastics medal, finished fourth, with America's Jake Dalton fifth.
Uchimura was the first man to take to the floor mat at the North Greenwich Arena.
The reigning world floor champion made a confident start and closed his routine with a stuck triple twist somersault that earned him a generous round of applause.
His lead did not last for long, however, as Zou immediately bettered him.
The 24-year-old from Sichuan Province looked even more assured than Uchimura and stuck every landing perfectly, except for a tiny hop forward after his final tucked double double somersault.
The three medalists were the first three men to complete their routines, meaning Zou had a long wait until Gonzalez's score of 15.366 confirmed that he was still the Olympic champion.
China's Zou Kai successfully defended his Olympic men's floor title yesterday to deny Japanese superstar Kohei Uchimura his second gymnastics gold medal of the London Games.
Zou's score of 15.933 was sufficient to give him his second gold medal of the competition, after his role in China's success in the team final, and his fifth Olympic gold in all.
"This medal means a lot to me," he said. "It's my fifth Olympic gold medal and I've won the most Olympic gold medals in the Chinese team now."
Zou claimed three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics four years ago and he can repeat the feat if he prevails in tomorrow's horizontal bar final.
Uchimura finished with the same score as Russia's Denis Ablyazin - 15.800 - but the Japanese took the silver medal on account of his higher execution score.
"Although I wasn't able to get gold today, I think I did really well, so I am satisfied. I have to admit that Zou Kai did very well," said Uchimura, who was crowned individual all-around champion last Wednesday.
Tomas Gonzalez, bidding to win Chile's first Olympic gymnastics medal, finished fourth, with America's Jake Dalton fifth.
Uchimura was the first man to take to the floor mat at the North Greenwich Arena.
The reigning world floor champion made a confident start and closed his routine with a stuck triple twist somersault that earned him a generous round of applause.
His lead did not last for long, however, as Zou immediately bettered him.
The 24-year-old from Sichuan Province looked even more assured than Uchimura and stuck every landing perfectly, except for a tiny hop forward after his final tucked double double somersault.
The three medalists were the first three men to complete their routines, meaning Zou had a long wait until Gonzalez's score of 15.366 confirmed that he was still the Olympic champion.
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