RIO DE JANEIRO -- Kohei Uchimura stepped off the floor, saluted the crowd inside Rio Olympic Arena and bent over. Symbolically, it looked as if the Japanese gymnast was overcome by the moment after clinching the Olympic team gold hes pursued during his otherwise unparalleled career.Nope. The reason the six-time world champion and defending all-around Olympic titlist found himself with his hands on his knees gasping for breath was more pragmatic than poetic.I was just exhausted, he said.And relieved. No more questions about whether he can beat top rival China on the biggest stage. His status as the greatest of all time is no longer in doubt. Turns out his team -- Koji Yamamuro, Ryohei Kato, Yusuke Tanaka and Kenzo Shirai -- is pretty good, too. Japans total of 274.094 was more than two points better than Russia and nearly three clear than the Chinese, who couldnt lock down a third straight Olympic title thanks to a series of small but crucial missteps the Japanese simply didnt make. Britain finished fourth while another slow start in the Olympic finals dropped the United States to fifth.I think compared to the Japan athletes, tonight we are a little bit less good, but this difference is very slight, Chinas Zhang Chenglong said.Maybe, but the gap isnt a mirage. Japan laid the groundwork at last falls world championships when it ended Chinas decade-long run at the top. Uchimura called the victory in Scotland vital in showing the judges it could keep it together under pressure.If you dont win gold there, the judges just dont formulate a very good impression of you, Uchimura said. If Russia or China were to win in Glasgow, the sense would be that theyll probably win in the Olympics.No chance. Though it was close for the first five rotations, ultimately it wasnt. The Japanese finished on floor, where Shirai is the world champion and a spinning, twisting wonder. His 16.133 made it nearly mathematically impossible for Japan to be caught. Its only fitting the routine that sealed Japans triumph fell on Uchimura.Controlled and precise, he was his typically elegant self as Japan bounced back from a so-so qualifying round, where it wound up fourth and looked plenty sloppy while doing it. Not in the finals. Japans overall score was nearly five points better than preliminaries.The only drama in the end surrounded silver, where the Russians cemented their return to the Olympic podium for the first time in 16 years by holding off the Chinese on the final rotation. It was vindication for a team that spent the days leading up to the games wondering if their country would be allowed to compete at all following a doping scandal that ultimately barred more than 100 athletes from Rio de Janeiro.Of course there was a psychological pressure, Denis Ablyazin said. We didnt know if we would have access or not. The situation around Russia was difficult. We decided to put everything aside.The going was far bumpier for the Americans. The U.S. men were second in qualifying on Saturday and pointed to their experience as a key to avoiding their meltdown four years ago in London, when they topped preliminaries but slid to fifth in the finals. In 2012, the problem was a nightmarish start on pommel horse, typically their weakest event. This time it happened on a usually far friendlier spot: floor exercise.Alex Naddour stepped out during his dismount and the orange out-of-bounds flag went up on teammate Sam Mikulak a few minutes later. Though they avoided disaster on pommels, the Americans were sixth after three rotations and even a series of hit sets -- including a spectacular performance on parallel bars -- couldnt salvage a shot at bronze. The chase ended when Danell Leyva came off high bar while coach Mark Williams gave him a brief pep talk.In a lot of ways, these guys performed better than I feel we did in London, Williams said. We fought through everything and theres no giving up. Gymnastics is hard and there are a lot of good teams out there on the mens side. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. https://www.chinajerseysnfl.us/ . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. NFL Jerseys China . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Kentucky running backs Benny Snell and Boom Williams were just infants in 1999 when the Wildcats won three consecutive Southeastern Conference games.Saturday, their performance helped Kentucky accomplish that feat for the first time in 17 years.Snell rushed 38 times for 192 yards and two touchdowns, and Williams added 19 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown as the Wildcats defeated Missouri 35-21. Its the first time in school history two running backs have rushed for at least 175 yards apiece in a conference game.Snell said he was not fazed in carrying the ball 38 times.Im very happy about this win, Snell said. Im used to this in high school, but I just take a different approach, that Ive got a better line in front of me, so I just tried to attack the defense.We didnt play strong enough run defense, Missouri coach Barry Odom said. They were able to get a few formations in that we didnt stop.Stephen Johnson completed 14 of 23 pass attempts for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as the Wildcats piled up 582 yards of offense, their highest conference output since Nov. 11, 2006, when they had 597 yards in a 38-26 win against Vanderbilt.Its about our preparation, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said of his teams effort. Its about the way they go to work each day throughout the week, starting on Mondays. I enjoy coaching these guys and that is why. They take to coaching and they take to criticism and they know we can do so many things better.Missouri (2-6, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) has allowed 500 or more yards of offense in four consecutive games, the worst such stretch in school history.This is a very elementary statement but were not a good football team, Odom said. If we work together and continue to follow the plan we have in place, then we will get there, I promise you that.Drew Lock was 18 of 31 for 220 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed six times for 34 yards.Dimetrios Mason caught four passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns for Missouri. The freshman entered the game with 22 catches for 249 yards.Damarea Crockett was one of eight ball carriers for the Tigers, leading the way with 13 carries 55 yards. Fullback Josh Augusta had the only rushing score, a 1-yard touchdown run set up by a 63-yard punt return by Johnathon Johnson.dddddddddddd Johnson also caught two passes for 27 yards and had a 25-yard carry on a reverse.Kentucky (5-3, 4-2 SEC) dialed up a number of big plays, averaging 7 yards per play to Missouris 5.6. The Wildcats converted on all three of their red zone trips and nearly doubled Missouris time of possession.The Tigers managed 18 first downs, but struggled on third down, converting just 4 of 15 attempts. They were also flagged 9 times for 65 yards after surrendering 125 penalty yards last Saturday in a 51-45 loss to Middle Tennessee State.TAKEAWAYKentucky: Snell and Williams are just the second backfield duo in the last decade to record at least 175 yards apiece in an SEC game. Snell had runs of 32, 23 and 19 yards, and Williams had three rushes of 20 yards or more, including a 60-yard touchdown to give Kentucky a 7-0 lead near the end of the first quarter.Missouri: The Tigers recorded one sack and six tackles for loss, and forced two turnovers, but failed to convert them into points. Missouri took the opening drive of the second half deep into Kentucky territory but was stopped on third down, setting up a 24-yard field goal attempt by Tucker McCann, which he missed wide right.MASH REPORTMissouris defense was short-handed after losing senior linebacker and leading tackler Michael Scherer for the season with a torn ACL. Scherer was one of several Missouri players injured against Middle Tennessee State, including defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. and cornerback John Gibson. Beckner is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Gibson, who injured his left knee, did not play Saturday.We will piece it together, Odom said. Everybody in the country is banged up, and thats just college football. We will be all right.UP NEXTKentucky: The Wildcats will host Georgia next Saturday. The Bulldogs beat Kentucky 27-3 last season in Athens.Missouri: The Tigers visit South Carolina next Saturday. Missouri defeated the Gamecocks 24-10 on Oct. 3, 2015 at Faurot Field, its most recent SEC win. ' ' '