DAKAR, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) — China gained the primary ladies’s inventive gymnastics staff gold medal on the Youth Olympic Games on Monday, as Chen Ziyan, Xie Guying and Zhong Qi scored 107.798 factors to edge Japan by 0.234 in Dakar.
France obtained bronze on 105.231, whereas Italy completed fourth.
Dakar 2026 marked the introduction of inventive gymnastics staff finals to the Youth Olympic program. The eight finalists rotate by way of 4 equipment, vault, uneven bars, stability beam and flooring. Each staff names three gymnasts with no reserves.
Under the “3-2-2” format, solely two gymnasts carry out on every equipment within the last, and each scores rely towards the staff whole, which places a premium on line-up selections and consistency, with no room for a single dangerous routine.
Japan led by 1.533 factors after vault. China lower the deficit on uneven bars and moved forward on stability beam, the place Chen’s 14.266 was the very best rating on the equipment. Xie posted 14.233 on uneven bars.
“We fought as a team, so the effort we put in together is what matters most,” Xie mentioned.
China’s males’s gymnastics staff additionally struck gold on Monday. Li Lezheng, Yang Lanbin and Zhao Ruiyang mixed 158.463 factors to beat Japan by 2.233. Britain took bronze.
Attention will flip to the person all-around finals on Tuesday, with Yang Lanbin and Li Lezheng within the lineup for China. Britain’s Uzair Chowdhury, the highest qualifier and the one to attain above 80, looms as their major rival.
Xie Guying and Zhong Qi certified first and second, forward of Russia’s Polina Dmitrieva and Japan’s Yume Minamino, the 2025 junior world champion.