The only gymnast capable of stealing some of the Japanese team's thunder in the early 1970s, Nikolai Andrianov made sure his country's flag waved above the Olympic All-around podium in 1976. That was the beginning: Four years later, Andrianov marshalled the Soviet team to gold in Moscow, supplanting Japan as the world's top programme. Andrianov holds the record for most Olympic medals won by a male gymnast, with 15.
For 12 years between 1954 and 1966, Boris Shakhlin's name appeared at the top of scoreboards at the World Championships and Olympic Games. The premier gymnast of the strong Soviet teams of the 1950s, Shakhlin retired in 1966, an Olympic gold medallist on all events except Floor Exercise and Still Rings.
A model of consistency and elegance on the mat, Sawao Kato was recompensated with 12 Olympic medals, eight of them gold. Kato, the Olympic champion in 1968 and 1972, is the last man to have won back-to-back All-around golds at the Games and holds the record for the number of Olympic gold medals won in the sport.
Li Ning's impeccable air sense and precise performances made him China's first "Prince of Gymnastics" in the early 1980s. Li helped the Chinese men captured their first ever World team title in 1983, and added three individual golds at the Los Angeles Games a year later. He went airbourne for the last time at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he lit the Olympic flame during the Opening Ceremony.
The first of the great Russians of the post-Soviet era, Nemov combined Soviet elegance with exceptional personal charisma. Powerful and precise on the competition floor, he enjoyed showed off his playful nature during popular exhibition performances. But it was in competition where he really distinguished himself. He retired with 12 Olympic medals, including the 2000 All-around gold.
At the twilight of the Soviet era, the "man from Minsk" made sure the system that created him went out in a golden blaze of glory. In a tour de force unlikely to be seen again, Scherbo captured six of the eight golds available in the men's competition, winning the All-around, with the Unified Team, as well as Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Vault and Parallel Bars. He ended his career after the 1996 Olympics, retiring 10 Olympic and 23 World medals, the latter a record in Gymnastics.
Mitsuo Tsukahara's five Olympic gold medals earned between 1968 and 1976 place him squarely in the hall of the greats. He is better remembered, however, for the gifts he gave the sport in the form of two elements that bear his name. The first, a basic vault, is one of the cornerstones of the event. The second, the full-twisting double back somersault he used as a dismount from Horizontal Bar, is still one of the most popular elements in Gymnastics.
The absolute master of the All-around since 2009, Kohei Uchimura's quest for perfection has led him to six consecutive World All-around titles, three more than any other gymnast, male or female. Nicknamed "Superman" by his competitors, Uchimura's CV also includes the 2012 Olympic All-around title and 19 World medals, 10 of them gold. Uchimura has no plans to stop anytime soon: his goals include competing before his home crowd at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The hardworking Yang Wei finished second at his first Olympic Games in 2000, but never stopped working until he attained the ultimate Olympic prize. Throughout his nearly decade-long career, he was the driving engine of the Chinese men's team. He retired in glory after the 2008 Olympics, where he finally attained the summit of the sport: Olympic gold with his team, and the All-around title for himself.