Zhang leads China men to gold at gymnastics world championships

Published Oct. 7, 2014 10:19 a.m. ET

foxsports

Led by Zhang Chenglong on the high bar, China won its sixth straight gold medal in the men's team event at the gymnastics world championships on Tuesday.

Japan led after five of six disciplines, and four-time world all-around champion Kohei Uchimura looked to have secured his team's first goal medal in the event in 36 years.

But Zhang's near-flawless routine on the high bar erased a 15.866-point deficit as China beat Japan by 0.1. The United States took the bronze medal, and Britain finished fourth.

China entered unbeaten in world championships team competition since 2003.

Japan won silver at the previous three worlds where the team competition took place: 2007, 2010 and 2011. No team competition was contested at the 2009 and 2013 worlds.