UCHIMURA GETS GOLD!

It wasn't perfect, but Japan's Kohei Uchimura won his first Olympic all around gold Wednesday, after winning silver in Beijing. 
  
The three-time defending World Champion, Uchimura was on his way to another near-perfect all around showing, until putting his hands down after a tumbling line on floor exercise, his last event.  Uchimura's lead was sufficient, however, to keep him in gold medal position, over Germany's Marcel Nguyen and USA's Danell Leyva. Today's victory marks Uchimura's fourth major all around title in a row and solidifies his name as one of the greatest gymnasts in history. 

For the silver and bronze, the competition came down to the last event where Leyva earned a 15.7 on the high bar to put him in medal contention. It was only after Marcel Nguyen's hit floor routine that he know he'd won the bronze medal. 

The U.S. men, Leyva and John Orozco, had high expectations after a dominating qualification performance. Leyva was the top all around qualifier, while Orozco advanced in fourth. 

Leyva and Orozco followed the same rotation the USA men did in the team final, starting the competition on the floor exercise. Orozco hit his floor routine with a stuck 2.5 dismount for a score of 15.433, an impressive score for him. Leyva also had a solid routine with clean landings and a small step on his double layout dismount. He received a score of 15.366. 

The second rotation was on the pommel horse. In general The U.S. men have struggled on this event in London. Both Orozco and Leyva had a fall in their routines during team finals. The men struggled once again during their routines. Orozco was performing well until he lost rhythm and came to a dead stop on his dismount and had to press up in order to finish it. He was only awarded a 12.566. Leyva had a great set until he also lost his rhythm on his dismount, hesitated and had to press up in order to finish. He also earned a low score of 13.50, a point lower than what he is capable. 

In the third rotation Orozco and Leyva started their comeback on the still rings. Leyva hit his routine with a stuck full twisting double layout. He scored a 14.733. Orozco also hit his routine with a 1.5 twisting double tuck dismount with only a small hop on the landing. He was awarded a 15.20. Orozco was looking for redemption on the vault after sitting down his vault during team finals. He performed a handspring double twist landing right in the middle with a small step. Orozco was given a 15.9. Leyva played it safe by only performing a tsuk double instead of what he usually performs, a 2.5. It was clean with only a small step on the landing. He scored a 15.566. 

The last two events were Leyva's strongest. He looked to still be in medal contention, but things weren't looking as good for Orozco. Leyva, World Champion on the parallel bars, perfomed his best routine in London so far scoring a 15.833. His coach and father Yin Alvarez showed his approval by clapping and jumping up and down after Leyva's routine. Orozco also had a soild routine with a few mistakes and a step back on his double pike dismount. He scored a 15.266. Going into the last rotation Leyva was sitting in sixth place and Orozco was in tenth. Leyva needed a strong routine in order to medal and that is exactly what he delivered. He took a step on his double double layout, but earned a great score of 15.70. Orozco also finished up the competition with a great routine, only having a small step on his dismount. He finished eighth in the competition. Leyva was awarded the bronze medal. 

He finished the meet in top form on parallel bars (15.833) and high bar (15.7) to move himself past Ukraine's Mykola Kuksenkov at the end.

Photo: Danell Leyva in interviews after the all around competition.

Post-Competition Quotes:

"He's (Uchimura) is the 3 time World Champion. I don't think anyone out there deserved it more. I'm pleased he won today."
- Kristian Thomas, Great Britain

"I'm really happy, especially coming back from a miss on pommel horse, but to be completely honest, I’m not entirely satisfied. This bronze is beautiful, but at the same time the gold was definitely the team goal. And a lot of people have asked who I’m dedicating this to. I’m dedicating it not only to my coach and my mom and grandparents, but literally to the whole Team USA. All these guys are my brothers. And everybody back in the States in Miami, I love all you guys."
- Danell Leyva, USA

"If I spoke Japanese, I would tell Uchimura that he is the greatest gymnast to ever live... for now."
- Danell Leyva, USA




MEN'S ALL AROUND FINAL RESULTS

1. Kohei Uchimura (JPN)- 92.690 (GOLD)

2. Marcel Nguyen (GER)- 91.031 (SILVER)

3. Danell Leyva (USA)- 90.698 (BRONZE)

4. Mykola Kuksenkov (UKR)- 90.432

5. David Belyavskiy (RUS)- 90.297

6. Kazuhito Tanaka (JPN)- 89.407

7. Kristian Thomas (GBR)- 89.406

8. John Orozco (USA)- 89.331

9. Fabian Gonzalez (ESP)- 88.998

10. Sergio Sasaki (BRA)- 88.965

11. Oleg Verniaiev (UKR)- 88.931

12. Alexander Shatilov (ISR)- 88.432

13. Daniel Purvis (GBR)- 88.332

14. Emin Garibov (RUS)- 88.006

15. Fabian Hambuchen (GER)- 87.765

16. Cyril Tommasone (FRA)- 87.657

17. Claudio Capelli (SUI)- 87.314

18. Enrico Pozzo (ITA)- 87.032

19. Joshua Jefferis (AUS)- 86.865

20. Kim Soo Myun (85.773)

21. Jimmy Verbaeys (BEL)- 85.231

22. Paolo Ottavi (ITA)- 84.648

23. Javier Gomez Fuertes (ESP)- 84.431

24. Roman Kulesza (POL)- 84.165

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WAG:   Team     AA     VT     UB     BB     FX

MAG:   Team     AA     FX      PH     SR     VT     PB     HB


When: Wednesday, Aug. 1 - 11:30 a.m. ET

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ALL AROUND FINALISTS:

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How to advance to All Around Finals
The top 24 gymnasts based on scores from prelims will advance to the finals. However, only two gymnasts per country may advance.

Reigning World Champion:
2011 - Kohei Uchimura (Japan)

Past Olympic AA Champions:
2008 - Yang Wei (China)
2004 - Paul Hamm (USA)
2000 - Alexei Nemov (Russia)
1996 - Li Xiaoshuang (China)

2012 Olympic Medal Contenders: 


Kohei Uchimura, Japan
"The man" in men's gymnastics for the past four years, Uchimura is undefeated at the World Championships this quad, winning three straight World all around titles in 2009, 2010 and 2011.


Daniel Purvis, Great Britain
A three-time British All Around champion, Purvis has come on strong in 2012, after finishing fourth at the 2011 World Championships.


Danell Leyva, USA
The top American in London may be Olympic Trials champion Danell Leyva.  Clean and consistent, Leyva has upgraded his routines from 2011 and will aim to stay close to Uchimura.


Philipp Boy, Germany
A talented all-arounder and the reigning World silver medalist, Boy will have to overcome wrist and shoulder injuries to medal in London.


Koji Yamamuro, Japan
Young Koji Yamamuro burst on to the scene in 2010 and has steadily improved each year, taking bronze in the all around at the 2011 World Championships.  This year, he has posted one of the highest six-event totals in the world.


John Orozco, USA 
The U.S. National Champion this year, Orozco is peaking in 2012.  Orozco boasts high difficulty scores and the second-highest all around total this year behind Uchimura.