Samuel Offord successfully defended his all-around title Friday night at the 2010 Australian Men's Gymnastics Champiosnhips in Canberra.

Samuel Offord (Australia)

Offord and runner-up Thomas Pichler traded the lead throughout the competition. Offord came into Saturday's finals carrying a slight lead from Wednesday's team competition. After five events, Pichler led by a full point going into his last event, pommel horse. Offord managed to pull ahead with a hit routine on still rings, taking the title with 172.400 to Pichler's 171.350.

"I went over to Tom at the end of his pommel routine and said that was probably one of the best competitions I have been involved in," Offord said. "To know that we were neck and neck the whole way is really pleasing ahead of Commonwealth Games."

Luke Wadsworth took the bronze medal with 168.450.

Three-time Japanese Olympian Naoya Tsukahara, 33, competed as a guest again and easily outscored the field with 175.000. Tsukahara, who also won the competition unofficially in 2009, is reportedly considering seeking citizenship to compete for Australia.

New Zealand's top gymnast Misha Koudinov also competed as a guest, finishing with the fifth-best all-around total (167.250).

Two-time world medalist Prashanth Sellathurai won pommel horse with 16.150 on Saturday, the highest score of the competition.

Other event winners were Pichler on floor exercise (14.550) and parallel bars (14.500), Offord on still rings (15.300), Wadsworth on vault (15.175) and Luke Wiwatowski on high bar 14.750.

The competition served as team trials for for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the first trials for the 2010 World Championships. Both events will be held in October. Offord, Pichler and Sellathurai were named to the Commonwealth Games team along with veterans Joshua Jefferis and Philippe Rizzo. Jefferis, the 2006 Commonwealth Games all-around champion, is returning from an elbow injury and competed modified routines. Rizzo was sidelined by a shoulder injury, as was 2008 Olympian Sam Simpson.

External Link: Gymnastics Australia

2010 Australian Men's Gymnastics Championships
July 14-17, Canberra

Senior All-Around
-. Naoya Tsukahara JPN 175.000*
1. Sam Offord SA 172.400
2. Thomas Pichler QLD 171.350
3. Luke Wadsworth QLD 168.450
4. Luke Wiwatowski NSW 139.150

Junior All-Around
1. Tyson Bull VIC 156.900
2. Brody-Jai Hennessy QLD 153.800
3. Kevin James VIC 152.500
4. Mitchell Jones QLD 124.400
5. Scott Costin QLD 122.200

* Guest competitor

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