On-song Yang takes gymnastic gold

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Video - China's Yang takes gymnastics gold

Yang Wei continued China's dominance in the Olympic gymnastics by winning gold in the men's all-around final.

The 28-year-old two-time defending world champion finished with 94.575 points, nearly three clear of Japan's Kohei Uchimura.

Benoit Caranobe of France sneaked into the bronze medal position.

Briton Daniel Keatings, competing in his first Olympics, came 20th, despite a score of 15.700 on the pommel horse, which was the best in the competition.

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The victory ends eight years of Olympic frustration for Yang, who collected silver in 2000 and finished seventh in 2004 after a fall on the high bar midway through the competition.

His victory was wildly celebrated by the Chinese crowd, who chanted his name as the victory was confirmed.

"Today was perfect," said Yang. "I felt tired before the competition, but after it I feel relaxed."

China have now won all three gold in the gymnastics hall so far after winning the men's and women's team events.

"Yang was very uneasy going into his third Olympics," said Chinese team-mate Chen Yibing.

"But he handled it like a champion and I respect him very much."

I've really enjoyed every second of it

Daniel Keatings

Yang did make a few mistakes during the competition, slipping out of bounds on the floor discipline and taking small steps on his landings on the vault and rings.

But it did not matter as he had already built up a commanding lead.

He did not wait for his marks on high bar, his final event, before starting to celebrate - leaping onto the podium and thrusting his fists in the air. Yang's main contenders were never really in the hunt.

Japan's Hiroyuki Tomita, the only other man to win the world title since Athens, finished fourth while Fabian Hambuechen of Germany, the world silver medallist last year, fell from the high bar and wound up seventh.

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Video - Keatings delighted with performance

Keatings, 18, who won four gold medals at the European Junior Championships in May, described his maiden Olympics as an "awesome experience".

"I made a few slight mistakes, but it was amazing just to compete in the final," said Keatings, the only Briton who made the all-around final.

"I know I need a bit of work on three of my disciplines in particular - the bars, the vault and the rings - but I have gained a lot of experience competing at this level and know I can improve as we head towards London 2012.

"If I'd done as well on the horse in qualifying it would have got me to the final in that event.

"But I've really enjoyed every second of it."