Artistic Gymnastics – 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships – Men’s Team Final – Pommel Horse – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany – October 9, 2019 Russia’s Nikita Nagornyy in action REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
(Reuters) – Russia’s men clinched their first-ever team title at the gymnastics world championships on Wednesday, edging China in a tight contest in the finals in Stuttgart.
The Russians never missed a beat as they posted a score of 261.726 across six apparatus – just 0.997 more than last year’s winners China.
Needing 13.470 points for gold ahead of their final routine on the high bar, European all-around champion Nikita Nagornyy produced a clinical display to finish with 14.466.
Russia became the first European winner of the men’s team event since 2001 when Belarus took home the title.
Despite missing 21-time world medallist Kohei Uchimura through injury, Japan retained their bronze medal with a score of 258.159.
Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge