Uchimura set for Rio gymnastics gold rush

Japanese gymnastics star Kohei Uchimura, the reigning Olympic and world all-around champion, opens his quest on Saturday for a gold medal rush in Rio.

'King Kohei' has reigned in the all-around since 2009, winning a record sixth straight world title last year, and with 19 world medals -- ten in gold -- is the overwhelming favourite to star again in Rio.

The 27-year-old will fire the first shot in his bid to defend his all-around title in men's qualifying on Saturday with his target also to fire Japan to team gold after taking silver in 2008 and 2012.

A second Olympic all-around gold would see him become the first man to achieve the feat since compatriot Sawao Kato in 1972.

The Olympic team gold is the only title missing from Uchimura's collection, with China the two-time champions.

Uchimura also won Olympic silver on floor in London 2012, and has world titles on the horizontal bar and parallel bars, so could add to his Olympic medals tally of five -- a gold and four silvers -- from his previous two Games.

Uchimura's all-around challengers include Cuba's Manrique Larduet, 20, who broke through with all-around silver at last year's world. China's Deng Shudi is the world bronze medallist.

The field also includes Germany's Marcel Nguyen and American Danell Leyva, all-around silver and bronze medallists from the London 2012.

"It's great to say I won a medal four years ago but it's not going to help me now," said Leyva, a late call up to the US team after John Orozco was ruled out injured.

"The past is the past," added the Cuban-American, who won horizontal bar silver at the 2015 worlds for his fifth world medal.

- 'Another level' -

Britain's Max Whitlock, the reigning world champion on pommel horse, is also in the fray. Whitlock, 23, won two Olympic bronze medals in London in the team and on the pommel horse.

"It's going to be tough," said Whitlock. "I look up to him (Uchimura), he's my idol. He's on another level, but hopefully I can get there."

China have won the last two Olympic men's titles having beating Japan in 2008 and 2012. 

But Uchimura helped break China's domination last year and end Japan's 37-year wait for the world title.

China's 12-year reign ended, as they slipped to third behind Great Britain, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallists, who are also hoping to thwart Uchimura.

The Olympic gymnastics gets underway with men's qualifying with the top 24 advancing to Wednesday's all-around final.

The best eight nations qualify for Monday's team final, with eight gymnasts advancing to the apparatus finals -- floor, pommel horse, vault, rings, horizontal bar and parallel bars - from August 14-16.

In the apparatus events, Brazil's Arthur Zanetti will be carrying home hopes as the reigning Olympic champion on the rings with Dutch gymnast Epke Zonderland the London champion on the horizontal bar.

Japan's Kenzo Shirai, 19, is the reigning world champion on floor and is competing in his first Olympics.

China's Zhang Chenglong, a member of the gold medal winning team in 2012, is joined by Olympic newcomers Deng, Liu Yang, Lin Chaopan and You Hao.

US star Simone Biles headlines the women's competition which gets underway with qualifying on Sunday.

Source: AFP