China's Xiao Qin defends pommel horse title

Xiao Qin maintained his dominance on pommel horse on Friday to win China their fifth gold medal at the gymnastic world championships in Aarhus of Denmark.

Xiao rotated on the horse with ease and kept his bodyline swirling to finish his routine earning 16.025 to defend his title.

Australian Prashanth Sellathurai collected the silver by 0.275 points trailing and American Sasha Artemev settled for the bronze 0.250 points behind further.

"I got some pressure on the apparatus because everybody expected me to win it. I always feel the nerves when I compete," said Xiao. "There are so many other gymnasts who have a lot of potential. I just try to do my best every single time."

"I think I need to do something if I want to keep my lead on the discipline. Australia's silver medalist got a more difficult routine, but his dismount was not as good as mine."

Sellathurai was the second Australian man to win a world medal following Philippe Rizzo's second-placed finish on the horizontal bar in Ghent, Belgium, in 2001.

"I was not really expecting a medal," said the 20-year-old from Sydney.

"Before the competition, I was not sure about what would happen here. I did my routine without chancing anything and I did not expect anything. Before the qualifications, I was not even sure if I could make it to the finals."

Artemev made up a little bit for the United States disappointing run in the men's team and all-round competitions to clinch the bronze with his speedy scissor routine.

"I did not know that I would make it to the final so I am satisfied," said U.S. national champion Artemev, who had finished 22nd out 23 competitors in the all-round final on Thursday.

Source: Xinhua