Rings, Men

As in 1960, the best six gymnasts in the individual all-around advanced to the apparatus final. The final apparatus score was made up of 50% of the all-around total and a final optional program. Albert Azaryan of the Soviet Union had won the 1956 and 1960 gold medals but had now retired. It was difficult to choose a favorite in 1964 as there was no dominant rings competitor. The 1962 World Champion was Yury Titov, but he placed seventh in qualifying and did not make the final. Japan’s Yukio Endo had been second to Titov in 1962, and led after the qualifying, but he had the lowest score in the final and placed sixth, and last among the finalists. The gold went to his unheralded teammate Takuji Haytta who made no other apparatus final. He was followed by Italian Franco Menichelli, the only finalist not from Japan or the Soviet Union, who won three apparatus medals in Tokyo, with a gold on floor, and bronze on the parallel bars.