The U.S. men won their first World team medal in eight years when they finished third at the 2011 World Championships at the Tokyo (Japan) Metropolitan Gymnasium. The USA missed the silver medal by a mere 0.010. Tomorrow, Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, and Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts’ Twistars USA, are competing in the women’s all-around finals (Start List | Live Results | Watch Live).

China won the team title with a total of 275.161. It came down to the very last routine to determine whether or not the USA would have the silver or bronze. Japan’s Kohei Uchimura scored a 14.700 to clinch the silver and edge past the USA, which posted a team score of 273.083. The USA’s previous team medals came in 1979 (bronze), 2001 (silver) and 2003 (silver).

"It was an incredible competition," said Kevin Mazeika, the men’s national team coordinator and head coach for the World Team. "The guys did an amazing job, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. We are back on the medal podium and that is what is important. (This is the result) of the hard work of the athletes, the coaches, and we are on a mission — the goal hasn’t changed, and we are closer to it now. We will just go back and work that much harder on the road to London. It was such a great competition and an amazing finals."

The U.S. men’s team includes: Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma; Jonathan Horton of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Academy); Steven Legendre of Port Jefferson, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (University of Oklahoma); Danell Leyva of Homestead, Fla./Team Hilton HHonors (Universal Gymnastics); Alexander Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./University of Oklahoma; and John Orozco, Bronx, N.Y., U.S. Olympic Training Center. Chris Brooks of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Academy), is the alternate.

"Any time you win a medal at the World Championships, it’s something to be proud of," Horton said. "We didn’t have a perfect day, but we proved to the world that we’re one of the top teams."

The U.S. men started on floor, and Horton set the stage with a solid routine that included a double-double, two-and-a-half to punch front full and a layout Thomas, earning a 14.966. Legendre had a strong routine that included great height on his tumbling, including a tuck, two-and-a-half-twisting double back followed by an Arabian double pike full out and scored a 15.566. Dalton wrapped up the USA’s efforts with an Arabian double layout, layout Thomas and his triple full dismount. His 15.500 brought the USA’s floor total to 46.032.

On pommel horse, Leyva’s routine included a Tong Fei, triple Russian and a strong dismount for a 14.366. Orozco followed with a 14.433 for his set that included great scissor work into single pommel spindles and a handstand dismount. Naddour posted the USA’s top score for the event at 15.058 for his routine that featured a full Kehr, a single pommel Russian, Magyar to Sivado, Tong Fei and handstand dismount. The team total was 43.857 for third place in the team rankings.

Dalton took to the still rings first for the Americans. He tallied a 14.333 for a routine that included a back uprise Maltese, Azarian, kip Maltese, piked Yamawaki and a one-and-a-half twisting double back dismount. Orozco was up next, performing a back uprise Maltese, back uprise planche and an uprise straddle L. He received a 14.166. Horton anchored the rings and posted a 15.066 for his routine that included a Maltese, Azarian cross, back uprise to inverted cross and his double-double dismount. The team score was 43.565.

The team posted a total score of 47.765 for vault. Legendre, who was first, threw a handspring double-front, half-out, also known as a Dragulescu, for a 16.166. Dalton’s Kasumatsu double twist earned a 16.333. Horton also performed a Dragulescu, earning a 15.266 due to a short landing. The team pulled into fourth after vault, 1.568 points behind leader Japan.

Orozco took the first spot on parallel bars. His routine included a Morisue, giant Suarez, back toss and Stutz, ending with a stuck double-pike dismount and a 15.233. Horton’s 15.000 was earned for a routine that featured a giant double pike, Tippelt, Diamidov, Stutz and a stuck double-pike dismount. Leyva rounded out the apparatus with a 15.366 for his routine with a peach Diamidov, peach full, giant Diamidov-half, and a double-pike dismount. The team score was 45.599 and fourth place in the rankings, barely behind Russia.

The USA wrapped up on the horizontal bar. Orzco posted a 15.366 for his routine with a full-twisting layout Tkatchev called a Liukin, Rybalko, full Takamoto connected to a Yamawaki, finishing with a stuck full-twisting double-layout dismount. Horton also scored at 15.366; his routine featured a Zou Li Min, Cassina, layout Kovacs, Kolman and a full-twisting double layout dismount. Leyva was the last American on high bar, and he claimed a 15.533 for his routine with a full Takamoto to Yamawaki, layout Kovacs, Liukin, layout Tkatchev, Endo full spin and layout double-double dismount, which he stuck. The team score was 46.265, which put them in to third place.

"I can’t even describe to you how happy I am right now," said Orozco. "I have had the time of my life in this competition."

"We’re always wanting more and more, and I don’t think we’re going to be satisfied until we get that team gold," Leyva said. "I think we have the potential to do it, and I’m ready for the Olympics."

Scores from the preliminary round did not carry forward to the final round.

Fans can follow the action at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships via the web, cable TV and network television. Universal Sports will carry a live webcast of the finals, as well as same-day coverage on its cable network. In addition, usagym.org will have photos and updates from Tokyo, with expanded coverage of "USA Gymnastics: Behind the Team presented by AT&T." NBC Sports will broadcast coverage of the World Championships on Oct. 15-16.

  • Live webcast. UniversalSports.com will have a live webcast of the team, all-around and individual event finals from Tokyo for $19.99. For U.S. Eastern Daylight Savings time, the live webcasts are scheduled for: Oct. 13 – women’s all-around final, 5 a.m.; Oct. 14 – men’s all-around final, 6 a.m.; Oct. 15 – individual event finals, 12:30 a.m.; and Oct. 16 – individual event finals, 1 a.m. (NOTE: Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of New York City; when it is midnight in Tokyo, it is 11 a.m. in New York.)

  • Cable TV. Universal Sports will show all of the finals on its cable network during prime time. At 8 p.m. ET each day, Universal Sports will show the men’s team final on Oct. 12; men’s all-around finals on Oct. 14; and individual event finals on Oct. 15-16. The women’s team final will air at 11 p.m. on Oct. 15, and the women’s all-around final, with men’s highlights, will air at 11 p.m. on Oct. 16.

  • NBC. NBC Sports’ coverage of the World Championships will broadcast the women’s team final at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, and the women’s all-around final at 2 p.m. on Oct. 16.

  • "Behind the Team." "USA Gymnastics: Behind the Team presented by AT&T" will provide expanded coverage from the World Championships, including John Macready’s take on the championships and Tokyo, interviews, and more. To enjoy this added coverage, you can go to att.net/teamusa or access it from usagym.org.

  • Usagym.org will provide enhanced coverage from Tokyo that will include results and exclusive photos from the competition, as well as daily video interviews. USA Gymnastics will also post event updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Team Finals Results
1. China – 275.161
2. Japan – 273.093
3. USA – 273.083
4. Russia – 269.045
5. Ukraine – 264.102
6. Germany – 263.926
7. Korea – 260.393
8. Romania – 245.175

U.S. Individual Scores

Floor Exercise
Steven Legendre – 15.566
Jake Dalton – 15.500
Jonathan Horton – 14.966

Pommel Horse
Alex Naddour – 15.058
John Orozco – 14.433
Danell Leyva – 14.366

Still Rings
Jonathan Horton – 15.066
Jake Dalton – 14.333
John Orozco – 14.166

Vault
Jake Dalton – 16.333
Steven Legendre – 16.166
Jonathan Horton – 15.266

Parallel Bars
Danell Leyva – 15.366
John Orozco – 15.233
Jonathan Horton – 15.000

High Bar
Danell Leyva – 15.533
Jonathan Horton – 15.366
John Orozco – 15.366