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Chen Yibing will want to ensure he does not run out of steam when he looks to protect his reputation as the best strongman in gymnastics in the rings final at the Olympics.

The 23-year-old from China appeared to be in the hunt for a medal in the all-round final last week as he was in fourth place midway through the competition.

But with two rounds to go, he ran out of puff, slipped off the horizontal bar and finished last of the 24 competitors.

"He fell because he was tired after competing in several events in the men's team final," coach Gao Jian said about his charge, who helped China to the men's team gold.

"It is important for gymnasts to save their energy for the finals."

As the twice world champion on rings, Chen will be the man to beat since he set the standard in qualifying with 16.525.

Those looking to deny him victory include Bulgaria's Jordan Jovtchev, who is seeking his first Games title in his fifth Olympics, and fellow Chinese and all-round champion Yang Wei.

In the day's other men's medal event - the vault - China are guaranteed to draw a blank. Out of 10 apparatus finals in Beijing, it was the only one where the hosts failed to qualify.

Hence the likes of Romania's Marian Dragulescu, Thomas Bouhail of France and world champion Leszek Blanik of Poland will want to capitalise on China's absence by vaulting to victory.

Surprise all-round bronze medallist Benoit Caranobe will be eager to add to France's medal tally after he produced the best vault in the individual competition.

"My next final is really close to my heart and I want to focus on it and to enjoy it," said the 28-year-old.

Women's all-round champion Nastia Liukin and China's He Kexin are expected to battle it out for the asymmetric bars title even though neither were among the top four qualifiers for the final.

The pair have the most difficult routines on the apparatus, with an incredible 7.7 start value, but both came to grief in the preliminaries.

In the women's team final though, Liukin and He showed exactly how dazzling their routines could be if they managed to execute it as flawlessly as possible.

Liukin's grace and artistry earned her the highest mark of any competitor at these games, 16.900, while He's daredevil stunts drew 16.850. If they can reproduce the same form, it could turn out to be the most exciting apparatus final in Beijing.

Reuters