Zou Kai highlights China´s brilliant gymnastic show with horizontal bar gold

Source: Xinhua | 08-19-2008 21:08

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Zou Kai won the horizontal bar gold medal at the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday, putting a perfect ending to the host country's brilliant gymnastic show.

China's Zou Kai competes during men's horizontal bar final of  Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing,  China, Aug. 19, 2008. Zou Kai claimed the title of the event with  a score of 16.200. (Xinhua Photo)

China garnered a total of nine golds in the top-class competitions, setting the best result at one Olympic Games. It was also the first Olympic gold captured by a Chinese gymnast in horizontal bar.

China's Zou Kai celebrates after his performance  in men's horizontal bar final of Beijing 2008  Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing,  China, Aug. 19, 2008. Zou Kai claimed the title of  the event with a score of 16.200. (Xinhua Photo)

Meanwhile, it was another gain in Zou's medal haul after he won the floor exercise and the men's team titles in Beijing.

Zou ranked only fifth in the qualification. The 20-year-old gymnast remained quite calm in the final, although reigning world champion Fabian Hambuechen of Germany as the first one to compete, impressed the judges with high-quality twists and turns on the bar.

Zou chose a routine with the difficulty zenith of 7.2 among eight finalists to show his potential in which China is transitionally weak.

A successful execution gave Zou a score of 16.200 points, securing the leading position to the very end of the competition.

Jonathan Horton from the United States got the silver by gaining 16.175 points. The bronze went to Hambuechen who garnered 15.875 points.

Before the final, Hambuechen has suffered from continuous setbacks by falling off the horizontal bar twice. But this time he did not let the chance slip away.

Editor:Si Qintu