Nagoya (Japan), Sep 25 (IANS) China's Zou Jingyuan claimed his third consecutive Asian Games gold medal in the parallel bars on Friday, while his teammate Tian Hao won the horizontal bar title as the gymnastics competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games came to an end.

Zou, an Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion, was the first gymnast to perform in the parallel bars final and posted a score of 15.500. None of the following competitors could surpass him, giving Zou the gold with a clear advantage.

"Overall, I think my performance at the Asian Games was quite good. I had prepared for the worst before coming here, so I'm actually satisfied with the result. It proves that our previous efforts were not in vain," he said. "But finishing one competition does not mean the end. As long as I keep going, there will always be another competition. I don't think I can be the champion forever," Zou added.

In the horizontal bar final, several gymnasts fell from the apparatus. Tian topped the standings with 14.700 points, while Paris Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka of Japan took silver with 14.033, reports Xinhua.

It was Tian's first Asian Games appearance after an injury kept him out of the Hangzhou Asian Games. He said the fact that most of China's key gymnasts had already completed their events left him with relatively little pressure in his final competition on Friday.

"I was able to showcase the horizontal bar more fully, and it is also my strength," Tian said. "I'm in good form now. I hope I can maintain this at next month's world championships so that our team can achieve a better result."

In the women's floor exercise final, Japan's veteran gymnast Aiko Sugihara won another gold with 14.033 points after she ended China's straight 13-title run in women's all-around on Tuesday. Her teammate Misa Nishiyama took silver, while China's Zhang Yihan won bronze.

South Korea's Hwang Seo-hyun won the balance beam title, with China's Qiu Qiyuan taking silver.

In the men's vault final, the Philippines' Carlos Edriel Yulo claimed his second gold after also winning the men's floor exercise title.

China finished the artistic gymnastics competition with seven gold, two silver and four bronze medals. The Chinese team had earlier swept the men's and women's team titles and also won gold in the men's individual all-around, men's rings and women's uneven bars.

--IANS

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