Belarus Remains Top to Enter Team Final at Gymnastics WorldsBelarus maintained its lead to head into the men's team final at the World Gymnastics Championships with Romania, France and China also advance into the top eight competitions Monday in Ghent, Belgium.Belarus, which was led by world champion Ivan Ivankov, collected a total of 222.132 points, followed by the United States 221.420 and South Korea 220.857 when the qualifying competition finished today. Romania came to fourth place after their 10th and last subdivision ahead of Ukraine, an outsider of the final six at worlds two years ago and silver medalist in Sydney, while France finished sixth in 218.593. Five-time world champions China, who sent a second-string squad, secured a place in the final for a seventh-place performance and long-time powerhouse Russia, with an injury-plagued lineup and error-filled routines yesterday morning, snatched the last spot thanks to the new rule of the competition. The top eight teams from 40 participant delegations, not previous six teams, are eligible for the team final at the current world championships. |
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