Japan put in a consistent performance to secure their first Olympic gold medal in this competition since 2004, while Russian Federation secured their first team medal since 2000.
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The team of Kohei Uchimura, Ryohei Kato, Yusuke Tanaka, Kenzo Shirai and Koji Yamamuro finished top of the pile with a final score of 274.094, giving Uchimura a full-set of championship medals.
But seven-time Olympic medalist and six-time world champion Uchimura ultimately prevailed with a stuck landing and a final score of 92.365 to just beat out Verniaiev’s 92.266.
Their total score from vault, floor, pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and high bar are added together to make a total which decides the gymnasts’ rankings.
The U.S. men were looking for their first team medal since 2008. The nine worlds medals they have in this quadrennium is the most for the program since the late 1970s. “At times, as an individual coach I’d say I was a little frustrated that we weren’t getting there fast enough, but I think we were getting on track”. We fought through everything and there was no giving up.
Verniaiev finished 11th in the all-around in London but has grown into one of the world’s best all-around gymnasts. “It’s the most representative and the most valuable, because gymnastics is a team effort”.
The Americans came into the night hopeful after qualifying second to China. Team USA qualified two gymnasts: Sam Mikulak, who finished seventh in qualifying, and Chris Brooks, who finished 19th.
“I’m proud of the guys, but we’re obviously upset of the outcome”, said Dalton.
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Whitlock had opened on his favoured piece of apparatus, scoring 15.875, which despite being lower than his total in the team final on Monday, gave him a slight advantage over Uchimura.
