At the World Gymnastics Championships in Strasborg, France, the Japanese men's team beat the Soviet Union for the gold medal by less than a single point. There were brilliant displays from both teams on the fourth day of the championships.

SYNOPSIS: The quality of the contest deserved, and had, a full house. As the day's competition got under way , Japan was leading by just under three points. This is the Soviet Union's Aleksandre Ditiatin.

Eizo Kenmotsu of Japan on the vault, clears beautifully, but lands badly.

Olympic Champion nikolai Andrianov of the Soviet Union on the parallel bars. Both Andrianov and the European Gold Medallist Vladimir Markelov made bad errors in the pommel horse section, and were forced to restart their routines, so high scores on the bars were essential.

This is thirty one year old Shigeru Kasamatsu of Japan. The Japanese team fumbled its big lead on the floor exercises when both Eizo Kenmotsu and Hirojo Kajiyama feel and lost valuable points. When this section ended, the Japanese were leading the Russians by less than a point.

Nikolai Andrianov on the horizontal bar. He scored nine point nine out of a possible ten points. He finished with the highest combined individual score - one hundred and sixteen point six points. Japan's Eizo Kenmotsu was just half a point behind and Shigeru Kasamatsu one twentieth of a point behind him. Japan has not lost an Olympic or World Championship since 1960.

The Japanese were just in the lead. Hiroji Kajiyama of Japan one of the two who had fallen in the floor exercises, performs on the horizontal bar. He scored an almost faultless vault exercise, nine point nine, showing his earlier fall had not undermined his nerves. His effort helped Japan to scrape home.