AARHUS, Denmark - China claimed their second gold medal of the world gymnastics championships when they won their first women's world team title.


Gymnast Zhang Nan of China performs her routine on the beam during the women's team final at the 39th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. China won the title ahead of the US and Russia. [AFP]
Defending champions the United States, led by all-around world champion Chellsie Memmel, had to settle for silver with Russia claiming bronze after the eight-team final.

It was the second gold for China in as many events and augurs well for their preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after their men successfully defended their team title on Tuesday night.

The Chinese, bronze medallists at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, pulled ahead after their third rotation of four, the beam, when Zhang Nan and Pang Panpan went 1-2 to carry a 0.850 lead into the final round on floor where Cheng Fei gave the top performance of the night in that discipline.

Cheng, 18, admitted that the fact they had not been favourites had helped.

"Before the championship there was a gap between us (and the US)," said Cheng. "This was a good thing as it allowed us to practice without any pressure.

"With little pressure we were able to give a good performance and pull out all our best techniques."

China, whose previous world best was silver in 1981, finished just seventh at the 2004 Athens Olympics and fourth at the last world championships.

The Chinese scored 182.200 points after the four apparatus with the United States finishing on 181.350 and Russia on 177.325.

Olympic champions Romania finished fourth with 175.450.

The Americans, who won the title for the first time at home in Anaheim in 2003, had looked dominant in qualifiers but they struggled from the outset in the finals as they competed in the same group as the Chinese.

They competed with just four gymnasts - Memmel, Jana Bieger, Alicia Sacramone and Anastasia Liukin - with Liukin being limited to the uneven bars because of an ankle sprain.

And the Americans paid dearly for errors by both Memmel and Bieger.

Bieger, 17, opened their defence by landing on her bottom during the vault.

Sacramone pulled them back by scoring highest on the apparatus (15.575) ahead of world vault champion Cheng (15.275).

China were in third after the vault behind Romania and the US with Cheng, Zhou Zhuoru, Zhang Nan stepping forward on their landings.

But they began to make up ground when world silver medallist on uneven bars Memmel fell on her face and Bieger also made errors during that rotation.

Liukin pulled the US into the lead in the uneven bars with less than a point separating the Americans, Chinese and third-placed Romania.

And the Chinese surged ahead after Zhang, 20, and Pang, 18, went 1-2 on the beam when Memmel slipped, with China taking a 0.875-point lead into the final round on floor.

There their only error was a minor one by Zhang on a dance element.

Taking to the floor last the Americans could not afford to slip-up only for Bieger to step out of limits.

Cheng took top marks of the floor (15.650) ahead of Memmel and Pang and it was enough to seal victory.

"Team spirit is an important factor here," said Cheng.

"I'm satisfied with the Chinese team performance but especially the way we fought to the end."

The Chinese had lined out with six athletes Zhou, Zhang, Cheng, Pang, He Ning and Li Ya. Li did not however compete on any of the apparatus.

Meanwhile, Memmel could be in danger of losing her all-around title.

The 18-year-old had been uncertain to compete after suffering an ankle injury last week but looked to have come back strong by leading qualifiers.

"I guess I was just a little bit off today. On the beam I had a few wobbles and I was disappointed with the bars but I came back strong on the floor and I was really happy with that," said Memmel.

The competition continues Thursday with the men's and women's all-around finals where Japan's Hiroyuki Tomita and Memmel will be defending their respective titles.