Dropped club ends Spain's reign

Belarus work with clubs during the team event

One dropped club and Spain's reign as Olympic champions was over on Thursday, as the defending gold medallists failed to qualify for the finals of the rhythmic gymnastics team competition.

With eight of 10 teams advancing to Saturday's finals, it was stunning defeat for the Spaniards, who captured the sport's first ever team gold four years ago in Atlanta.

The first day of competition produced one other surprise,with Greece sitting on top the team rankings with a mark of 39.400 ahead of Russia on 39.366 and Belarus with 39.316.

Since 1975 Russia, Bulgaria and Belarus have won every world championship team title, with the exception of a surprise victory by Spain in 1991.

Satisfying

"Our result is very satisfying because it's the first day and how you begin determines how you perform the rest of the way," said Greek coach Maria Fateeva.

Russia's Alina Kabaeva during her hoop exercise

The eastern European domination of the sport is even more profound in the the individual all-round competition.

Since 1975, all the podium places at every world championship have been occupied by gymnasts from just four countries, Russia, Bulgaria, Belarus and the Ukraine.

That trend continued through the first of two days of Olympic qualifying, with world champion Alina Kabaeva of Russia leading after the rope and hoop routines with a mark of 19.841.

Yulia Raskina of Belarus, the world championship bronze medallist, sits second on 19.808 followed by another Russian Yulia Barsukova in third with 19.800.

The ball and ribbon routines on Friday will decide the 10 finalists.