BEIJING, July 30 -- China dominated a World Cup Gymnastics meet in Shanghai at the weekend, bagging nine from 10 possible gold medals.

China's women gymnasts outdid their male counterparts by claiming all four golds on offer at the confidence-building International Gymnastics Federation event.

China's vaulting horse world champion Cheng Fei upheld her status with a faultless performance and also won gold on the balance beam, while Jiang Yuyuan matched her teammate's double in the floor exercise and uneven bars.

Sichuan Province's Feng Zhe bagged two golds in the men's vaulting horse and parallel bars as well as silver on the floor.

Chen Yibing was too good for the field on the rings and Zou Kai scooped a gold on the floor in an emphatic and morale-boosting meet for the whole team ahead of the upcoming World Championships in Germany.

The most controversial gold of the three-day event came during the pommel horse finals on Saturday.

China's pommel king Xiao Qin fell while attempting a Thomas Flare, but still claimed gold because of a near-perfect performance in other movements bearing a high degree of difficulty.

Despite his tumble, the talented athlete was awarded a score of 15.325, which the judges registered after deliberating for 10 minutes.

"Thanks to the revised competition rules in gymnastics, Xiao could still win the first place because of his difficulties, even with a fall," Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Gymnastics Association Ye Zhennan explained.

Concerns surrounded Xiao prior to the Shanghai event after the two-time world champion had fallen twice in the past two months at national competitions.

The 22-year-old said afterwards he had attempted a new routine, which he had only just started rehearsing, after major rivals increased the difficulties of their performances at last month's national championship.

"The routine is still immature and I tried to focus on it," Xiao, who was in extreme pain after his fall, said.

After talking to his coach, he cut short his routine.

The only event in which China's men didn't win gold was the horizontal bar, from which Zou Kai fell when he tried to perform a forward walkover 360.

Japanese youngster Hoshi Yosuke and Slovenian veteran Pegan Aljaz shared gold while Xiao Qin grabbed third place.

The home gymnasts reveled in their chance to perform in front of a familiar crowd, an advantage they will enjoy in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.

"Our athletes could get more familiar with Chinese audiences and we will maximize our advantage by competing on home soil," Deputy Secretary Ye said after the meet.

(Source: China Daily)