GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Japan sprinted to the front. China jogged into second.
Another showdown awaits. Just like always.
The Japanese easily topped qualifying at the men’s gymnastics world championships Sunday, posting a score of 358.884 to finish well clear of their rivals as the two superpowers spent six rotations shadowing each other around the chilly SSE Hydro in what amounted to a dual meet.
An occasionally sloppy one at that.
Not even Japanese star Kohei Uchimura was immune to a rare slip. The reigning Olympic and five-time world champion tweaked his neck and shorted a tumbling run during his floor exercise.