US performs well in first stage of Men's Gymnastics

The Artistic Gymnastics competition of Beijing 2008 opened today at the National Indoor Stadium with the holding of the men's qualification phase. The qualification phase is made up of three subdivisions, with the first one concluding at 2:10 p.m. local time (UTC/GMT +8).

The first subdivision featured Italy, Spain, the United States, Mixed Group 2, Mixed Group 6 and Mixed Group 3.

In the Team competition, Athens 2004 silver medalist the United States performed the best with a team total of 365.200 points. It was followed by Spain in second place (357.925 points), and Italy in third place (355.500 points).

Jonathan Horton from the United States led the field in the Men's Individual All-Around with a score of 91.650, Spain's Rafael Martinez was a close second with 90.800 points, and the United States' Alexander Artemev, who was a late replacement for the injured Morgan Hamm, grabbed third place with a score of 89.725.