When Kohei Uchimura leaps to the gymnastics bar, he imagines a flipbook animation of his body floating through the air in perfect form.
That's what the judges see, too. Japan's 23-year-old Uchimura is the reigning world champion, the only gymnast to ever win that title three times.
On Monday, Uchimura hopes to return Japan to the podium for the first time since 2004 in a sport the country had dominated through five Olympic Games in the 1960s and 1970s. His rise has also ushered in a shift in men's gymnastics since Beijing: beauty over brawn.
Gymnastics has always included both. But since the sport ditched its "perfect 10" scoring system in 2006—and changed to open-ended scoring—athletes have focused on attempting ever-harder physical challenges, seeking to rack up more points. Some athletes and coaches who thrived in the old system say the new rules favor brute strength over artistry.
