# Gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's parallel bars

The men's parallel bars competition was one of eight events for male competitors in artistic gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The qualification and final rounds took place on July 29, 31 and August 4 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. There were 71 competitors from 19 nations, with nations competing in the team event having 6 gymnasts while other nations could have to up to 3 gymnasts. The event was won by Bart Conner of the United States, the nation's first victory in the parallel bars since 1904 and second overall. Another American, Mitch Gaylord, took bronze. Japan returned to the podium after the 1980 boycott broke its six-Games medal (and four-Games gold medal) streak, with Nobuyuki Kajitani's silver.

## Background

This was the 16th appearance of the event, which is one of the five apparatus events held every time there were apparatus events at the Summer Olympics (no apparatus events were held in 1900, 1908, 1912, or 1920). None of the six finalists from 1980 returned; all six were from boycotting nations. American Bart Conner had won the 1979 world championship, missing the 1980 Games due to the boycott. Koji Gushiken of Japan and Lou Yun of China had shared the 1981 and 1983 world championships, respectively, with Soviet gymnasts. Thus, even without the Soviets, there was a strong and competitive field for the event.
The People's Republic of China and San Marino each made their debut in the men's parallel bars. The United States made its 14th appearance, breaking a tie with the absent Hungary for most of any nation; the Americans had missed only the inaugural 1896 event and the boycotted 1980 Games.

## Competition format

Each nation entered a team of six gymnasts or up to three individual gymnasts. All entrants in the gymnastics competitions performed both a compulsory exercise and a voluntary exercise for each apparatus. The scores for all 12 exercises were summed to give an individual all-around score. These exercise scores were also used for qualification for the apparatus finals. The two exercises (compulsory and voluntary) for each apparatus were summed to give an apparatus score.
The 1984 Games expanded the number of finalists from six to eight. Nations were still limited to two finalists each. Others were ranked 9th through 71st. Half of the preliminary score carried over to the final.

## Schedule

All times are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Sunday, 29 July 1984 | | Preliminary: Compulsory |
| Tuesday, 31 July 1984 | | Preliminary: Voluntary |
| Saturday, 4 August 1984 | 17:30 | Final |

## Results

Seventy-one gymnasts competed in the compulsory and optional rounds on July 29 and 31. The eight highest scoring gymnasts advanced to the final on August 4. Each country was limited to two competitors in the final. Half of the points earned by each gymnast during both the compulsory and optional rounds carried over to the final. This constitutes the "prelim" score.
| Rank | Gymnast | Nation | Preliminary | Preliminary | Preliminary | Final | Final | Final |
| Rank | Gymnast | Nation | Compulsory | Voluntary | Total | 1⁄2 Prelim. | Final | Total |
| | Bart Conner | United States | 9.90 | 10.00 | 19.90 | 9.950 | 10.000 | 19.950 |
| | Nobuyuki Kajitani | Japan | 9.95 | 9.90 | 19.85 | 9.925 | 10.000 | 19.925 |
| | Mitchell Gaylord | United States | 10.00 | 9.90 | 19.90 | 9.950 | 9.900 | 19.850 |
| 4 | Tong Fei | China | 9.85 | 9.90 | 19.75 | 9.875 | 9.950 | 19.825 |
| 5 | Kōji Gushiken | Japan | 9.90 | 9.90 | 19.80 | 9.900 | 9.900 | 19.800 |
| 6 | Li Ning | China | 9.85 | 9.90 | 19.75 | 9.875 | 9.900 | 19.775 |
| 7 | Daniel Winkler | West Germany | 9.75 | 9.85 | 19.60 | 9.800 | 9.800 | 19.600 |
| 7 | Jürgen Geiger | West Germany | 9.80 | 9.80 | 19.60 | 9.800 | 9.800 | 19.600 |
| 9 | Peter Vidmar | United States | 9.90 | 9.90 | 19.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 10 | Xu Zhiqiang | China | 9.80 | 9.95 | 19.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 11 | Tim Daggett | United States | 9.80 | 9.90 | 19.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 12 | Jim Hartung | United States | 9.75 | 9.90 | 19.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 13 | Lou Yun | China | 9.70 | 9.90 | 19.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 14 | Noritoshi Hirata | Japan | 9.75 | 9.80 | 19.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 15 | Kyoji Yamawaki | Japan | 9.60 | 9.90 | 19.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 16 | Li Yuejiu | China | 9.55 | 9.90 | 19.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Andreas Japtok | West Germany | 9.70 | 9.70 | 19.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Scott Johnson | United States | 9.60 | 9.80 | 19.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Joël Suty | France | 9.60 | 9.80 | 19.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 20 | Li Xiaoping | China | 9.60 | 9.75 | 19.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Benno Groß | West Germany | 9.90 | 9.40 | 19.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Jang Tae-eun | South Korea | 9.80 | 9.50 | 19.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Volker Rohrwick | West Germany | 9.55 | 9.75 | 19.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Bernhard Simmelbauer | West Germany | 9.60 | 9.70 | 19.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 25 | Jean-Luc Cairon | France | 9.50 | 9.75 | 19.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 25 | Lee Jeoung-sik | South Korea | 9.75 | 9.50 | 19.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Marco Piatti | Switzerland | 9.65 | 9.55 | 19.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Daniel Wunderlin | Switzerland | 9.65 | 9.55 | 19.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Markus Lehmann | Switzerland | 9.60 | 9.60 | 19.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Brad Peters | Canada | 9.70 | 9.50 | 19.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 31 | Philippe Chartrand | Canada | 9.70 | 9.45 | 19.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 31 | Koji Sotomura | Japan | 9.40 | 9.75 | 19.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 33 | Laurent Barbiéri | France | 9.45 | 9.65 | 19.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 33 | Josef Zellweger | Switzerland | 9.80 | 9.30 | 19.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 35 | Shinji Morisue | Japan | 9.15 | 9.90 | 19.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 35 | Han Chung-sik | South Korea | 9.60 | 9.45 | 19.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Warren Long | Canada | 9.55 | 9.45 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Emilian Nicula | Romania | 9.60 | 9.40 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Valentin Pîntea | Romania | 9.60 | 9.40 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Allan Reddon | Canada | 9.60 | 9.40 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Miguel Soler | Spain | 9.60 | 9.40 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Philippe Vatuone | France | 9.45 | 9.55 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 43 | Terence Bartlett | Great Britain | 9.55 | 9.40 | 18.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 43 | Michel Boutard | France | 9.35 | 9.60 | 18.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 45 | Chae Gwang-seok | South Korea | 9.50 | 9.40 | 18.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Antonio Fraguas | Spain | 9.65 | 9.20 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Ju Yeong-sam | South Korea | 9.40 | 9.45 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Frank Nutzenberger | Canada | 9.55 | 9.30 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Alfonso Rodríguez | Spain | 9.55 | 9.30 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 50 | Werner Birnbaum | Australia | 9.55 | 9.20 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 50 | Bruno Cavelti | Switzerland | 9.20 | 9.55 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 50 | Daniel Gaudet | Canada | 9.25 | 9.50 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 53 | Keith Langley | Great Britain | 9.40 | 9.30 | 18.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 53 | Nam Seung-gu | South Korea | 9.70 | 9.00 | 18.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 55 | Jacques Def | France | 8.85 | 9.75 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 55 | Andrew Morris | Great Britain | 9.60 | 9.00 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 57 | Tony Piñeda | Mexico | 9.60 | 8.90 | 18.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 58 | Vittorio Allievi | Italy | 9.70 | 8.75 | 18.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 59 | Richard Benyon | Great Britain | 9.20 | 9.20 | 18.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 59 | Barry Winch | Great Britain | 8.95 | 9.45 | 18.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 61 | Finn Gjertsen | Norway | 9.45 | 8.90 | 18.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 61 | Maurizio Zonzini | San Marino | 9.30 | 9.05 | 18.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 63 | Yohanan Moyal | Israel | 9.10 | 9.15 | 18.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 64 | Urs Meister | Switzerland | 8.80 | 9.30 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 65 | Diego Lazzarich | Italy | 9.55 | 8.50 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 66 | Rob Edmonds | Australia | 9.45 | 8.50 | 17.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 66 | Johan Jonasson | Sweden | 9.10 | 8.85 | 17.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 68 | Eddie Van Hoof | Great Britain | 9.15 | 8.70 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 69 | Rocco Amboni | Italy | 8.45 | 9.25 | 17.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 70 | Gerson Gnoatto | Brazil | 8.20 | 8.75 | 16.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 71 | Ya'akov Levi | Israel | 8.20 | 7.20 | 15.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |