China drinks in the crowd after claiming gold in the artistic gymnastics team event of the London Games on Monday at the 02 North Greenwich Arena. Japan finished second, the UK third. Provided to China Daily

Newcomer Guo Weiyang is expected to lead the Chinese gymnastics team in the future. The team won Olympic gold with 275.997 points on Monday. Provided to China Daily

Defending champion breezes to gold, while host gets first medal since 1912

Chen Yibing couldn't quite help himself. He needed to gloat. A little at least.

When asked how a team that looked like a bit of a hot mess - at least by its lofty standards - in men's gymnastics during qualifying on Saturday could turn it around so suddenly and win a second straight Olympic gold so convincingly on Monday night, Chen smiled and smacked his hands together.

"Perfect!" he said in English.

Maybe not, but then again, perfection was hardly required. Not with expected contenders Japan and the United States finding interesting ways to let gold slip from their grasp.

The Japanese needed a little help from the judges to earn silver. The US, so spectacular during qualifying, faded to fifth.

The only team besides China that seemed capable of rising to the occasion was Britain - yes, Britain - which earned its first team medal in a century by grabbing bronze.

It felt like something considerably shinier to the host nation, which had been pointing toward this meet from the moment London was awarded the Games seven years ago.

The last time the Brits had medaled in the team competition came in 1912, when they earned bronze a few months after the Titanic sunk.

"The beauty of what we've got is that this team isn't a one-hit wonder," said Britain's Louis Smith, the team captain and unquestioned leader.

Considering a British gymnast has won the last six junior European championships, Smith's not kidding.

Still, while the Brits have closed the gap between themselves and the rest of the sport's elite, one thing remains clear: Nobody beats China when Olympic gold is on the line.

Nobody.

Sure, China hardly looked like its normal efficient self as it bumbled through qualifying on Saturday. It hardly mattered on Monday. Qualifying is just practice to the Chinese, something to pass the time. The finals are what counts, and no country does it better when it matters most than the one that has now won three of the last four Olympic titles.

Were the Chinese bothered by their abysmal performance in qualifying?

Maybe a little. And no, they weren't sandbagging. At least they claim they weren't.

"We did want to make it to the finals," Zou Kai said.

That was never really in question. Neither was China's second straight Olympic title. Its total of 275.997 was well clear of the field.

The uncharacteristic miscues that marred their preliminary round, when they finished sixth, vanished. The Chinese were their typical steadily spectacular selves.

It's what they do. It's what they've seemingly always done.

"Our coach and our fellow colleagues made history," Chen said. "In the future we will have more new rising stars."

Who's going to argue? Though 27-year-old Chen is unlikely to be around when the Games head to Rio de Janeiro in 2016, there's another crop right behind him.

Whoever inherits the mantle from Chen and company will have to find a way to deal with an increasingly unstable landscape. The Japanese squeaked out silver when judges adjusted three-time defending world all-round champion Kohei Uchimura's score on pommel horse, providing the 0.7-point boost necessary to hold off Britain.

The judges ruled upon review that Uchimura should receive credit for his dismount, providing his score with the points necessary to keep the Japanese on the medal stand.

Barely. And Japan failed to overcome its rivals. Again.

"We practiced just like we thought, but this is the Olympics and this is a special environment and we really couldn't do as we planned," Uchimura said. "It was really difficult."

Maybe, but not really to the home team. The Brits - with Prince William and Harry cheering them on and Union Jacks in full sail throughout the O2 Arena - leaned on Smith early, then relied on their own rising stars to climb into third and cement themselves as an emerging power in a sport long considered an afterthought.

"It's a beautiful day for the sport of British gymnastics," Smith said.

Not so much for the Americans.

The US had touted this group as its deepest in more than a generation, a team capable of winning gold for the first time since the boycotted Los Angeles Games in 1984.

After winning the team gold, the Chinese gymnasts also have great chances in some individual events.

Chen, the defending world and Olympic rings champion, will compete in his favorite event on Aug 6. Chen said he will go all-out.

"I will continue to win. The Olympics are part of the best memories of my life," he said.

Zhang Chenglong and Feng Zhe will jointly compete in the parallel bars on Aug 7. Feng won the title in the event in the World Championship two years ago, while Zhang, as one of emerging gymnastic stars, claimed a silver in last year's world championship.

Zhang, together with Zou, the reigning Olympic champion, will also compete in the men's horizontal bars.

(China Daily 08/01/2012 page10)