Teammates ‘deserted’ gymnast Su Weide after falls cost China gold medal

There were heartbreaking scenes in the men gymnastics as a disastrous final round saw one man blow a certain win.

A devastated Su Weide (left). Photo: BBC

A Chinese gymnast’s heartbreak was felt around the world as his disastrous final round saw gold medals slip away in the men’s team final.

China appeared to have Monday’s final in the bag, leading by over three points with only the horizontal bar remaining.

It would have been their first gold in the event since 2012.

But disaster struck when Su Weide fell twice, with the shock on his teammates’ faces clear to see.

Each of the falls brought two-point deductions to the Chinese score, with rivals Japan snatching victory with a margin of just 0.532 points.

Su Weide fell twice in the bars. Picture: BBC

A devastated Su (left) sits apart from his teammates. Picture: BBC

Commentator Steve Robilliard said during the broadcast Su’s “teammates could barely look” as China’s gold medal evaporated.

Co-commentator Liz Chetkovich said: “He’s just completely mistimed, I’m wondering (if it’s) the inexperience perhaps. He’d like to finish strongly.”

Robilliard replied” “Your heart goes out to him, really.”

Su went to sit on his own at the end of the team bench, with the Chinese squad looking dejected.

The moment sparked sympathy from gymnastics and sport fans around the world, including Commonwealth Games athlete Gabby Logan.

“The poor Chinese gymnast who fell twice from high bar. His teammates have deserted him,” she wrote on X.

“He’s bereft. I can’t bear it. He might have just lost them gold.”

Team China were set to win gold. Picture: Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Su Weidefalls on the high bar. Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Bar champion Daiki Hashimoto, the last to go for Japan, held his nerve to produce a flawless title-clinching routine.

In a press conference after the event, Su choked up while reflecting on the fateful slips.

“Today taught me a big lesson. It’s a big regret,” he said.

“I feel sorry for my senior partners in the team. They have worked very hard in this cycle, there were a lot of injuries in the build-up, and because of my errors today, we lost the gold medal.”

Teammates, including medal favourite Zhang Boheng, have rallied around Su despite appearances.

Zhang added: “Regrettably in the last part we didn’t perform well.

“We are frustrated. Up to then we have done very well.”

– with AFP.

Originally published as Teammates ‘deserted’ gymnast Su Weide after falls cost China gold medal