Italy's team of Vanessa Ferrari, Erika Fasana, Chiara Gandolfi, Carlotta Ferlito, Francesca De Agostini (pictured) and Elisabetta Preziosa also succeeded in impressing the judges, finishing 2.708 points ahead of Canada, with 2006 all-round world champion Ferrari particularly convincing.

Gandolfi said: "We were well prepared.

"We have been training hard since July last year.

"After not getting through at the Tokyo World Championships we continued to train even harder and are so, so happy to be here."

Though France and Brazil suffered falls from the beam they, along with Canada, succeeded in securing the final places for the 12-nation team competition at the Olympics.

They join the United States, Russia, China, Romania, Great Britain, Germany, Japan and Australia, who had all booked their places at the World Championships in Tokyo last October.

Elsewhere, as a result of his qualification as an individual, the four-time world champion Bulgarian 38-year-old Yordan Yovchev will be competing at his sixth Olympic Games – the first gymnast to do so.

Despite his experience, he is yet to win a gold medal.

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