Liu Yang Defends Olympic Gymnastics Title on Still Rings

Liu Yang of China successfully defended his Olympic gymnastics title on still rings, posting a score of 15.300 to edge teammate Zou Jingyuan in the finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 29-year-old Liu is the third man to win multiple Olympic titles in an event that requires strength and impeccable body control, joining Albert Azaryan of Russia and Akinori Nakayama of Japan.

Liu’s victory came down to the wire, as he and Zou posted nearly identical difficulty scores of 6.400. It was Liu’s execution score of 8.900 that gave him the edge over Zou’s 8.833. The difference between the two was just enough to secure Liu’s second consecutive Olympic gold medal on the still rings.

Zou Jingyuan, the reigning world champion, took home the silver medal with a score of 15.233. Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece captured the bronze with a score of 15.100. Samir Aït Saïd of France placed fourth with a score of 15.000, while Adem Asil of Türkiye and Vahagn Davtyan of Armenia rounded out the top six.

The competition was fierce, with the top six gymnasts separated by just 0.534 points. Liu’s victory cements his status as one of the greatest still rings gymnasts in Olympic history.