17 Asian Games, Incheon - Japan take men`s team gymnastics gold

Japan saw off favourites China and hosts South Korea to claim the men's team gymnastics gold at the Asian Games on Sunday. The Japanese were not at full strength but a fine performance led by Yuya Kamoto, the 2010 Youth Olympics individual all-round champion, saw them to top spot.

Beijing`s golden boy Zou Kai outshone in the floor routine by an unfancied outsider.

The Chinese, who have dominated Asian Games gymnastics, with 123 golds out of a possible 175 since the event was introduced in 1974, were beaten into third by South Korea, let down by a patchy performance across the six disciplines.

The hosts had been targeting gold in the team event, hoping Olympic champion Yang Hak-Seon would vault them to victory.

But a hamstring injury suffered this week meant the 21-year-old was unable to perform his gravity-defying triple aerial twist "Yang 1" dismount.

Forced to perform an easier vault, he came up just short of North Korea`s Ri Se-Gwang despite comfortably outscoring his rival in the execution marks.

Japan, silver medallists behind China at the 2012 Olympics but without a single member of that team present, were impressive in their consistency and showed real class on the pommel and high bar.

The biggest surprise came on the floor as five-time Olympic gold medallist Zou was outdone by 23-year-old Shotaro Shirai, competing in his first major international games.