Daily 5 - Men's Team Finals at the 2011 Gymnastics World Championships

Daily 5 - Men's Team Finals at the 2011 Gymnastics World Championships

By Chris Korotky

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

China in Charge

They’ve ruled men’s gymnastics, for the most part, over the last decade and tonight, China was once again in command. Their routines are ridiculously difficult, their execution is textbook and their confidence is king. Still, you get the sense that the rest of the world powers – namely Japan, the United States and Russia – are right on their heels. Tonight showed that London should be a great battle and the race among those four is likely going to tighten...

Band of Brothers

The U.S. team members refer to each other as brothers and talk often of the focus on team and country versus individual success. And tonight, from the way they marched into the arena to the way they huddled after each event to the way they cheered each other on throughout, it was clear that there truly is a unique bond among this team. Every member played an important role in the overall success as well as in producing the score that put them back on the podium. After last year’s just-miss (placing fourth, and edged by Germany), the U.S. wanted to prove what they believe with all their heart and soul – that they are among the best of the best in the world. And tonight, they did just that…

So Close…

The last time Japan won on the World Championships, bellbottom jeans were in their original heyday. The year was 1978. With defending World Champ Kohei Uchimura on their team and the hometown crowd cheering them on, it seemed as if this might be the year that they would return to the top podium position they enjoyed often in the 1970s. With two falls on high bar in the final rotation, however, those dreams came to an end. There was a “sliver” lining as Uchimura’s final performance of the night – and his 14.7 score – was good enough for second, baaaaarely edging the U.S. (273.093 to 273.083). And the people of Japan – though they longed desperately for gold – had much to smile about having hosted a great competition tonight and having experienced a thrilling ride.

Russian Resurgence

Composed half of veterans and half of “youngsters,” the Russians came to Worlds with a different focus and attitude than we’ve seen in recent years. There’s been much made in the media of the drama that Maxim Devyatovsky reportedly brought to the team, and this year, they left him off. Throughout training, this team appeared upbeat and unified, yet didn’t seem to have a lot of self-assuredness. In prelims, you they started gaining confidence. Tonight, they believed and it showed. Though they missed a podium position, they improved from last year’s sixth place finish and it’s clear that they could challenge for any medal in London.

Thrill Ride

The Men’s Team Finals here in Tokyo was a great competition. The atmosphere in the arena was intense and the battle was great. The warriors on the battlefield competed their hearts out and it came through loud in clear in their performances. Emotions were strong which made for a compelling competition. Fans – and honestly those of us on press row covering the event – were literally on the edges of our seats at times. The hard work and training behind-the-scenes that goes on with little fanfare should be recognized. These gymnasts spend six to eight hours in the gym day in, day out working tirelessly to perfect skills and routines. They’ve gone through them thousands of times – both in the gym and in their heads – and they have one opportunity to hit when it counts. We salute each and every competitor here…

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