Olympic gymnastics runner-up Xiao labors to all-around gold at National Games

XI'AN - Xiao Ruoteng from Beijing recorded a nail-biting victory in the men's gymnastics individual all-around final at China's 14th National Games on Thursday.

Xiao, runner-up in the event at the Tokyo Olympic Games, won the title with 87.532 points and edged prospect Zhang Boheng from Hunan by 0.067 points. Jiangsu gymnast Sun Wei, who finished fourth in Tokyo, settled for bronze with 86.365 points.

Zhang, top finisher in the qualification, had to see his gold medal hopes slip away after committing a serious turnover on vault, while Xiao overcame his shoulder injury to deliver balanced performances on all apparatuses.

Xiao expressed satisfaction with his performance: "I overcame many difficulties and managed to win this gold medal at the National Games. Four years ago, I wanted so much to prove myself. This time I was relaxed and enjoyed the competition," he said.