After the gymnastics giants of the 70's Eizo Kenmotzu (1970, Lubljana), Shigeru Kasamatsu (1974, Warna) and after Hiroyuki Tomita recently in 2005 in Melbourne, the 22 year old Kohei UCHIMURA proves himself the fourth Japanese to seize the world championship gymnastics crown and stand as the best all-around artist.
With a start-goal win and without too much competition he put the young Brit ish European vice-champion Daniel KEATINGS with a good 2,5 points advantage onto place two, who achieved the first all-around medal at a world championship for Great Britain, amidst the full applause of London's O2 Arena. The Bronze went to the third of the European Championship, to Juri RYASANOV from Russia, who managed to overtake the second Japanese, Kazuhito TANAKA to the place of honour with a tenth point advantage.

The leading gymnastics nations Japan (with top favourite Kohei UCHIMURA, Russia, USA and even the host country Great Britain thereby each braught two gymnasts under the 10 best of the qualification. Each with one gymnast - the Ukraine (Kuksenkov) and Israel (Shatilov) also managed this. Similarly represented with two gymnasts in the all-around final, are Switzerland  vertreten (Gisi, Böschenstein), Puerto Rico and Colombia.
Another 6 countries are there tonight each with one starter (ITA, POR, FRA, ESP, ARG, BRA), Germanys representative is Marcel Nguyen (19.)

>> The qualification of the all-around final

* ROTATION 1
Of course the highest allocated jumps of all apparati lie infront, such that the first listing yet has little meaning:
1. CARANOBE (FRA) - 16,075 (vault)
2. MUNOZ         (ESP) - 15.925 (vault)
3. UCHIMURA  (JPN) - 15,675 (floor ; very nice triple-screw!);
4. BÖSCHENSTEIN (SUI)  - 15,600 (vault.: roche with small hop )
8. DEVIATOVSKI (RUS) - with 15.000 very impressive start on the floor,
- HORTON (USA) 13,775 (6.0) - ... falls after the first double forward somersault , further insecurities...! 

* ROTATION 31.  UCHIMURA (JPN) - rings: controlled, balanced top excersise , secure landing- 15,225 (6.2). = 45,750
2.  BÖSCHENSTEIN (SUI)  highbar: .. in competing spirit, but a little hasty... Kovacs goodt , double-Tsukahara good- 14,100 (5.9) = 44.325;
2. LOPEZ (COL) - suprises with a strong first half = 44,325
4. RIVERA (PUR) - the 12th of the qualification = 44,200
5. RYASANOV (RUS) - works himself forwards step by step = 44,150
6.  KUKSENKOV (UKR) - not very competent strength poise, leaving step = 14,400 (5.7) = 44,050

- GISI (SUI) - after an optimal bar excersise unfortunately acute exit problems= 13,525 (5.4);
- NGUYEN (GER) - rehabilitates at the highbar Kolman, Kovacs, (intermediary applause) exit, all works out = 14,225 (5.8)

* ROTATION 5
1. UCHIMURA - especially shining with double salti, but the intermediary jump after Healy, still an outstanding all-around artist; he can only beat himself today  - 14,625  = 76,425;
2. KEATINGS  - strong p.bar excersise - 15,500 = 74,450
3. TANAKA - catches up again  = 73,650
4. RYASANOV- high bar  ....3- 4 steps after exit from the mat (6.6) - 14,500  = 73,575
5. McNEILL - p.bars, not so optimal rim, missed step during landing (6.1) - 14,200 = 73,375
...
22. BÖSCHENSTEIN - pommel horse, comes through better than in the qualification but only with 4.3 - difficulties are only 11,775 = 70,425;
...
14. NGUYEN - since also the pommel horse excersise now happened later, it is all the more regretful that the Unterhachinger messed up his favortie chocolate apparatus, the bar - (5.2) - 13,425 = 71,250
15. GISI -    = 71,200;

First assessment:
Despite the fact that numerous international achievers were missing / had stepped out and despite that the top nation China left out the all-around competition, this first world championship in the new Olympics cylce developed into an interessting, first highlight.
Dominating were the representatives of Japan, impressive and with new strength displayed the Russian mens gymnastics, even if Deviatovski did not turn out to be the toughest opponent for Uchimura today, but therefore his Russian colleague Ryasanov as third in the European Championship, who subtly filled in the gap. 
That the British host, with a view on London 2012 is on a good way towards a European top nation, is not just known from todays competition. A great atmosphere in the hall, the audience seems to be enthusiastically awaiting the way to an Olympics in three years time.
Sorely missed was the pre-world championship injured German vice world champion and acting European champion Fabian HAMBUECHEN. It is idle to speculate however, who would have been the triumphant competitor of the day  - it would definitely have been an exciting duel for the win. It is now the next future, maybe even after  Rotterdam 2008, where the coming world championships will take place next October!

* Dieter Hofmann reporting from London
  Editor.: E. Herholz