TOKYO | US gymnasts 1st in qualifying at worlds in Tokyo | The ...

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As good as the Americans are, the Japanese are still better.

The Olympic silver medalists took the early lead in qualifying at the world gymnastics championships Sunday with 364.191 points, finishing about 2.6 points ahead of the U.S. men. Though this was just the first of eight sessions, both teams should easily finish in the top eight to earn spots at next summer's London Olympics.

Germany, last year's bronze medalist, competes later Sunday and China, Olympic champion and winner of the last four world titles, goes Monday. Team finals are Wednesday night.

The Americans have said they believe they can contend for the gold medal in London, and there's no question they are much, much improved. They had only one fall - Steve Legendre landed his vault on his knees - and posted higher scores than Japan on vault and floor exercise. John Orozco and Danell Leyva showed they intend to give the stylish Kohei Uchimura a rare challenge, finishing about 2 points behind the two-time world champion, who's been untouchable since the Beijing Olympics.

But there is a reason Japan has battled China for supremacy in men's gymnastics the past decade. Uchimura is, simply, otherworldly, doing every routine with polish and precision. On still rings, gymnastics' version of a torture chamber, he did three somersaults and came to a dead stop, the cables not moving a millimeter. He could have been a model in an art class on parallel bars, holding his handstands for what seemed like ages with statue-like stillness.

And every gymnastics coach needs to get a DVD of his high bar routine and put it on repeat. His release moves were massive, soaring so high above the bar it's a wonder he didn't bang his head on the ceiling. As the crowd oohed and ahhed, Uchimura gave a smile and pumped his fist.

Source: http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/10/08/3431497/us-kids-get-the-job-done-in-1st.html

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