China finished first in the men’s team qualification round at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, on November 7. Li Lezheng, Yang Lanbin and Zhao Ruiyang helped China secure the top position ahead of Japan and Great Britain.
China scored 159.228 points to lead the 12 competing teams. Japan finished close behind with 158.596 points, while Great Britain took third place with 152.830.
The top eight teams qualified for the men’s team final, which is scheduled for November 9. Belgium, Germany, Italy, Egypt and Mexico also secured places in the final.
China’s result showed its strength across the qualification events. The team used strong performances from its three gymnasts to finish ahead of Japan, which remained within one point of the leaders.
Great Britain also produced a solid team performance. Its third-place finish placed the country among the leading contenders for the final.
Belgium finished fourth with 149.628 points, just ahead of Germany, which scored 149.596. Italy came sixth with 148.130 points.
Egypt secured seventh place with 145.764 points, while Mexico completed the top eight with 144.995.
France narrowly missed qualification after finishing ninth with 144.762 points. Australia placed 10th with 141.429, followed by South Africa with 140.761. Colombia finished 12th on 135.028 points.
While China led the team standings, Great Britain’s Uzair Chowdhury delivered the strongest individual performance of the day. He topped the men’s all-around qualification rankings with 80.798 points.
Yang Lanbin of China finished second with 79.897 points. Japan’s Shiroiwa Naoto took third place with 79.295.
The results placed Chowdhury in a strong position ahead of the all-around final. The top 18 eligible gymnasts will compete for the individual title on November 10.
However, the qualification rules allow a maximum of two gymnasts from each country to advance. This limit affected China’s results because three of its athletes finished among the leading competitors.
Li Lezheng placed fifth overall with 77.131 points. His teammate Zhao Ruiyang scored 76.197 and appeared among the next highest-ranked gymnasts.
Despite Zhao’s score, he could not advance because Yang and Li had already secured China’s two available places in the final. The country will therefore be represented by Yang and Li in the all-around competition.
Japan also had two gymnasts in the top four. Shiroiwa finished third, while Nishihara Ikki placed fourth with 77.865 points.
Russia’s Daniil Smirnov ranked sixth with 76.764 points. Belgium’s Maxime Rolin followed in seventh place with 75.330, while Germany’s Andrei Mihai finished eighth with 75.130.
Hungary’s Aron Horvath took ninth place with 74.999 points. Spain’s Otger Carreres was 10th with 74.965.
Italy’s Giacomo Capuzzo recorded 75.695 points and was listed 11th in the published results. Argentina’s Benjamin Fernandez de Landa finished 12th with 74.097.
Mexico’s Lorenzo Zaragoza placed 13th with 73.697, followed by Austria’s Samuel Wachter with 73.665. Egypt’s Abdallah Shaarawy ranked 15th with 73.398.
Canada’s Jaydon de Silva took 16th place with 73.133 points. Israel’s Tomer Tirosh finished 17th with 72.697, while Belgium’s Arthur Olyslaegers completed the top 18 with 72.498.
The qualification round has now set the field for two important men’s competitions. China will enter the team final as the leading qualifier, but Japan’s narrow gap suggests a close contest on November 9.
Chowdhury will also carry Great Britain’s hopes into the all-around final after finishing ahead of a strong international field.
With the team and individual finals approaching, the gymnasts will now prepare for another chance to compete for medals at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games.
