The 2014 World Championships in Nanning, China continued today with men’s individual all-around finals and Japan’s Kohei Uchimura was crowned the 2014 World All-Around Champion, claiming his fifth back to back World All-Around title. Max Whitlock of Great Britain earned a historic silver medal, matching Great Britain’s greatest ever all-around medal. Japan’s Yusuke Tanaka earned the bronze medal. 

 

1. Uchimura - 91.965

2. Whitlock - 90.473

3. Tanaka - 90.449
See the full results here

 

Uchimura entered this competition as the overwhelming favorite and he had won the last four World all-around titles. Uchimura qualified in first heading into finals, David Belyavskiy of Russia qualified in second, and Deng Shudi of China qualified in third place. Other favorites to medal heading into the finals were Sam Mikulak of USA, Whitlock, and Tanaka. 

 

Cheng Ran from China was the first gymnast up of the entire meet. He executed a solid floor routine including a 3 1/2 to  front full and a stuck triple twist dismount for a 15.3. Donnell Whittenburg followed on floor with impressive tumbling including his layout double double, front full to double front, and piked half in half out. He scored a 15.1 and his competition was off to a great start. Deng followed with a clean routine with lots of twisting for a 15.3. Belyavskiy also started on floor with a solid routine for a 15.133. He performed a layout half in half out, a piked double arabian, and a triple twist. Uchimura performed his typical immaculate floor routine with every single pass stuck cold. His passes included a back 1 1/2 to front 2 1/2, double double, and triple twist. He had excellent execution and earned a 15.766.

 

Whitlock started on pommel with an incredibly clean routine where he scored a huge 16.0. Mikulak started on rings with a solid hit for a 14.8. 

 

Other impressive performances from the first rotation include Sergio Sasaki of Brazil on rings where he hit his routine and stuck his double double dismount for a 14.8. Oleg Vernaiaev of Ukraine had a great pommel set for a 15.233.

 

There were no falls in the first rotation and Whitlock was the leader, followed by Uchimura, Likhovitsky, then Cheng and Deng tied for fourth. Verniaiev was in sixth followed by Tanaka then Belyavskiy.

Pictured: Max Whitlock

Rotation two started with a solid Yurchenko double from Switzerland’s Oliver Hegi for a 14.4. Whitlock moved to rings where he earned a 14.466 for a strong routine. Sasaki vaulted a huge Dragulescu for a 15.2. Mikulak followed on vault with a Kasamatsu double twist for a 14.633. Jossimar Calvo of Colombia had an outstanding parallel bars routine with a unique full in off the end and he earned a 15.6. 

 

Whittenburg moved to pommel where he hit his routine but had a few execution errors and only scored a 13.783. Deng on pommel had a break in his routine where he had to press up to a handstand but an otherwise clean routine earned him a 13.833. Belyavskiy hit an excellent pommel routine for a 15.133. Uchimura continued to display his elegant artistry on pommel where he struggled the smallest amount on his dismount but saved it well and earned a 15.133. Tanaka followed with small errors but a hit routine for a 13.9. Cheng finished the rotation and had some uncharacteristic major errors but managed to stay on the horse and scored a 13.666.

 

After rotation two, Uchimura took the lead with a 30.899, ahead of Whitlock by 0.433 who had a 30.466. Belyavskiy was in third with a 30.266 and Sasaki was in fourth with a 30.

 

 

Calvo started the rotation out with a superb high bar routine packed with difficulty including two Kolmans and a double twisting double back for a 15.233. Oleg Verniaiev executed an outstanding Dragulescu on vault with just a small, controlled step back that scored a 15.4. Whitlock performed a triple twisting Yurchenko, which he nearly stuck and scored a 15.366.

 

Deng had a shaky rings routine but ended up with a 14.866. Belyavskiy followed with a hit routine including an inverted cross and a double twisting double layout for a 14.7. Uchimura continued his streak with a hit routine and another stuck landing. Uchimura’s routine included a kip to Maltese, swing to inverted cross, and a double double dismount for a 15.0. Cheng executed an excellent routine with a good mix of swinging elements and holds that scored a 14.683. Whittenburg was last on rings for this rotation where he had an incredible display of strength finishing with a layout double double for a 15.266. 

 

Mikulak moved to parallel bars in this rotation where he only earned a 13.4. He missed a peach and tried to keep going but couldn’t recover and hopped off the apparatus. 

 

At the halfway point, Uchimura kept his lead with a 45.899 but Whitlock was catching up and had a 45.832. Calvo was in third with a 45.099, Verniaiev and Belyavskiy were tied for fourth with a 44.966.

Pictured: Kohei Uchimura

The top group moved to vault where they put on a show but had a couple of unusual falls. Belyavskiy started off with a huge piked double Tsuk with a little trouble on the landing but he scored a 15.033. Uchimura followed with a brilliant, stuck handspring 2 1/2 twist. He was delighted after his vault and earned a 15.633. Cheng followed with the same vault but landed short and put his hands down. Whittenburg performed a big Dragulescu but landed short and but his hands down as well. Deng performed an excellent Tsuk triple and had a step back but still scored a 15.2. 

 

Sasaki had an outstanding high bar routine topped off by a stuck layout double double dismount. He earned a 15.066. Calvo performed a difficult floor routine with big twisting but had shuffles on his landings and scored a 14.2. 

 

Verniaiev had an incredible parallel bars routine with a stuck dismount and beautiful lines throughout for a huge 16.033. Hambuechen was also on parallel bars where he executed a strong routine with stuck double pike for a 15.433. Whitlock nailed his parallel bars routine that included a stuck double pike dismount for a 14.975. 

 

Uchimura kept his lead after four rotations with a 61.532. Verniaiev impressively moved up to second with a 60.999 and Whitlock fell to third with a 60.807. Belyavskiy was fourth with a 59.999 and Sasaki was fifth with a 59.966. The U.S. men were struggling and Whittenburg was in 14th and Mikulak in 17th. 

 

 

Uchimura had a clean parallel bars routine that displayed impressive control and scored a 15.2. He had a minor error in a handstand and a hop back on his landing for the first time this competition. Tanaka followed with an outstanding routine with impeccable execution that scored a 15.833. Cheng performed an excellent routine to big cheers from the crowd for a 15.233 and Deng followed with a great routine that scored a huge 15.7. 

 

Verniaiev had a solid high bar routine with great extension, although not many big releases. He scored a 14.466. Hambuechen put on a show with a Casina, Kolman, and a big layout double double for a 15.1. Whitlock hit his high bar routine but had to fight through a couple times and had some form breaks but finished strong for a 14.2. Belyavskiy executed a beautiful routine with a front double tuck half out and earned a 15.366. 

 

Mikulak nailed his floor routine for a 15.3, a great comeback but was still far from medal contention. Sasaki had an exceptional floor routine but had a foot slip on his roll out pass and scored a 14.966. He opened with front handspring double pike to immediate tuck front full and did a side pass of a tuck double double. 

 

Heading into the final rotation, Uchimura increased his lead and had a 76.732. Verniaiev was still in second with a 75.465, Belyavskiy was third with a 75.365, Whitlock was fourth with a 75.007, and Tanaka was fifth with a 74.949. 

 

 

Tanaka kicked off the final rotation with an outstanding high bar routine, combining big releases and impeccable execution for a 15.5 and a 90.449, good enough for third all-around. Deng followed with an exceptional routine including various Tkatchev releases and a stuck layout double double dismount for a 14.566. Belyavskiy finished with a solid high bar routine for a 14.4 and 89.765 all-around. Uchimura had the final routine of the night and finished big with an incredible routine scoring a 15.233 for a 91.965 and securing his gold medal. 

 

Whitlock finished big on floor with an outstanding routine. He had big tumbling and stylish flares and earned a 15.466 and totaled a 90.473 and earned second all-around. Verniaiev also finished on floor with a solid routine and a final triple twist stuck for a 14.833 and a 90.298 total. 

After a disappointing competition, Mikulak finished 12th and Whittenburg finished 17th. 


Women's all-around finals will be held tomorrow, October 10- see who qualified here. Individual event finals for men and women will be October 11 and 12. 


Related:
Full Results Here 
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