Home » Sports » Gymnastics
China modest after triumph
Print Edition
CHINA trounced Japan in the men’s team gymnastics final yesterday but said their golden performance meant nothing as their rivals had sent a second-rate team to the Asian Games.
The fabulous five from China put on a majestic show to claim their third straight gymnastics gold in Jakarta, forcing the Japanese to settle for silver. But Lin Chaopan, who pulled off a gasp-inducing horizontal bar routine, said the final was little more than an internal team exercise.
“It doesn’t prove we are the best because Japan did not send their top team,” said Lin, who secured bronze in the team event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Japanese superstar “King Kohei” Uchimura — the reigning 2012 and 2016 Olympic all-around champion — is among those not attending the Asian Games ahead of the World Championships in Doha in October.
Yesterday’s gold was 22-year-old Lin’s second after he claimed the men’s individual all-around title on Monday.
Japan, 2014 Asian Games champions in the team event, had led after the first round following an exquisite floor routine from Fuya Maeno, 22.
“That exercise was my only good one,” said a dejected Maeno.
There were other highlights for Japan including a near-faultless high-speed vault from the nation’s newest talent, teenager Kakeru Tanigawa.
But by the time Xiao Ruoteng of China’s turn came on the horizontal bar — the final performance of the event — the Chinese team were almost guaranteed of victory.
In the end they grabbed the top spot with 260.950, Japan secured silver with 248.550 and South Korea took bronze with 247.400.
It was China’s third gymnastics medal in as many days after Chen Yile got the women off to a golden start in the individual all-around event on Tuesday.
International Gymnastics Federation President Morinari Watanabe said that it was normal for a country like Japan to conserve their best athletes for the World Championships, given Tokyo 2020 is around the corner.
“From this year qualification starts for the Olympic Games so strong countries cannot send their good gymnasts,” he said, claiming that China also did not send their star athletes. “China is not strong (today), this is second class. Japan too.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
