Rio 2016: Kohei Uchimura's Japan Win Men's Gymnastics Team Gold

Kohei Uchimura completed his collection of gymnastics titles on Monday by leading Japan to men's Olympics team gold with Russia returning to the podium for the first time since 2000 to take silver.

Two-time champions China were restricted to bronze in a thrilling final. A devastated Chinese team held their heads in their hands in the Rio Olympic Arena.

Victory put Japan back on top of the podium for the first time since 2004 with a seventh gold in an event the country dominated through five Olympic Games in the 1960s and 1970s.

Six-time world all-around and Olympic champion Uchimura also claimed the only title missing from his vast collection with a sixth Games medal and second in gold.

The five-man Japanese team, which also included Koji Yamamuro, Ryohei Kato, Yusuke Tanaka and Kenzo Shirai, had been leading Russia by just 0.208 going into their final floor rotation with China third at 0.739.

But world floor champion Shirai set Japan on their way with a soaring 16.133. Competing last Uchimura, 27, scored 15.600 to seal the title after taking silver in 2008 and 2012.

Japan scored 274.094 after the six rotations with Russia, who had lead early, finishing on 271.453 and China 271.122.

Britain finished two points off bronze, in fourth ahead of the United States, Brazil, Germany and Ukraine respectively in the eight-team final.

With the scores of all three gymnasts counting on each apparatus there was no room for error.

Ukraine's Maksym Semiankiv failed to even start his high bar routine, and as his country had nobody else to put forward their challenge was over after three rotations.

China, with only Zhang Chenglong from the 2012 gold medal team, paid for errors starting with a shaky start for Lin Chaopan and Deng Yang on the floor, with You Hao struggling on his rings dismount.

Uchimura started on the pommel horse, clinching his fist to the crowd after nailing his land successfully, although teammate Yamamuro dismounted the apparatus.

Uchimura was controlled on rings and nailed his vault despite a little hop back on landing with Shirai scoring 15.633 as the Japanese began to pull ahead of their rivals.

China needed a strong final rotation on the high bar but failed to produce the needed fireworks.

It was another blow for the Chinese whose 12-year reign as world champions ended last October when Uchimura helped Japan to gold for the first time in 37 years.

China also took bronze in the worlds behind Britain.