China surges past rival Japan during men’s Olympic gymnastics qualifying
Jake Jarman, of Great Britain, competes on the parallel bars during a men's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Charlie Riedel]
PARIS (AP) — China stormed to the lead at Olympic men’s gymnastics qualifying, putting together a team total of 263.028 while competing next to rival Japan. The five-man Chinese team, missing veteran Sun Wei after he was injured during training, used a series of spectacular routines on rings and parallel bars to stamp itself as the favorite heading into the final. Japan, the reigning world champion, dealt with a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes by current world and Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto and finished at 260.594. Britain, Ukraine and the U.S. were well back of the leaders in third, fourth and fifth.
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Joe Fraser, of Great Britain, celebrates after competing on the horizontal bars during a men's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Charlie Riedel