# Gymnastics at the 1976 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 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The qualification and final rounds took place on July 18, 20, and 23rd at the Montreal Forum. There were 90 competitors from 20 nations, with nations competing in the team event having 6 gymnasts while other nations could have up to 3 gymnasts. The event was won by Sawao Katō of Japan, the first man to successfully defend an Olympic title in the parallel bars—and, as of the 2016 Games, still the only one to do so (the most decorated parallel bars gymnast, Li Xiaopeng, had his two gold medals separated by a bronze). It was the fourth consecutive victory by a Japanese gymnast in the event, breaking a tie with Switzerland for most all-time. Japan was unable to repeat its 1972 medal sweep, as nations were now limited to two finalists each. Nikolai Andrianov of the Soviet Union took silver, while Mitsuo Tsukahara of Japan earned bronze, missing a 1–2 finish for Japan by .025 points.

## Background

This was the 14th 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). Three of the six finalists from 1972 returned: gold medalist Sawao Katō of Japan, bronze medalist Eizo Kenmotsu of Japan, and sixth-place finisher Nikolai Andrianov of the Soviet Union. Kenmotsu had won the 1974 world championship, with Andrianov the runner-up.
Israel made its debut in the men's parallel bars. The United States made its 13th appearance, most of any nation, having missed only the inaugural 1896 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 top 6 in each apparatus participated in the finals, except that nations were limited to two finalists each; others were ranked 7th through 90th. Half of the preliminary score carried over to the final.

## Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Sunday, 18 July 1976 | 12:30 19:15 21:00 | Preliminary: Compulsory |
| Tuesday, 20 July 1976 | 15:00 19:00 20:45 | Preliminary: Voluntary |
| Friday, 23 July 1976 | 19:30 | Final |

## Results

Ninety gymnasts competed in the compulsory and optional rounds on July 18 and 20. The six highest scoring gymnasts advanced to the final on July 23. 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 |
| | Sawao Katō | Japan | 9.75 | 9.80 | 19.55 | 9.775 | 9.900 | 19.675 |
| | Nikolai Andrianov | Soviet Union | 9.80 | 9.70 | 19.50 | 9.750 | 9.750 | 19.500 |
| | Mitsuo Tsukahara | Japan | 9.70 | 9.65 | 19.35 | 9.675 | 9.800 | 19.475 |
| 4 | Bernd Jäger | East Germany | 9.65 | 9.55 | 19.20 | 9.600 | 9.600 | 19.200 |
| 5 | Miloslav Netusil | Czechoslovakia | 9.45 | 9.60 | 19.05 | 9.525 | 9.600 | 19.125 |
| 6 | Andrzej Szajna | Poland | 9.45 | 9.55 | 19.00 | 9.500 | 9.450 | 18.950 |
| 7 | Hiroshi Kajiyama | Japan | 9.70 | 9.65 | 19.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 8 | Dan Grecu | Romania | 9.70 | 9.55 | 19.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 8 | Vladimir Markelov | Soviet Union | 9.65 | 9.60 | 19.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 10 | Hisato Igarashi | Japan | 9.55 | 9.45 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 10 | Zoltán Magyar | Hungary | 9.55 | 9.45 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 12 | Bart Conner | United States | 9.55 | 9.40 | 18.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 13 | Alexander Dityatin | Soviet Union | 9.50 | 9.40 | 18.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 13 | Lutz Mack | East Germany | 9.50 | 9.40 | 18.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 15 | Henri Boerio | France | 9.45 | 9.40 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 15 | Gennady Krysin | Soviet Union | 9.45 | 9.40 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Robert Bretscher | Switzerland | 9.50 | 9.25 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Eizo Kenmotsu | Japan | 9.00 | 9.75 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Imre Molnar | Hungary | 9.60 | 9.15 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Michael Nikolay | East Germany | 9.40 | 9.35 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Ferenc Donath | Hungary | 9.40 | 9.30 | 18.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Edgar Jorek | West Germany | 9.30 | 9.40 | 18.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Kurt Thomas | United States | 9.40 | 9.30 | 18.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 24 | Volker Rohrwick | West Germany | 9.25 | 9.40 | 18.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 25 | Mihai Borş | Romania | 9.45 | 9.15 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 25 | Pierre Leclerc | Canada | 9.40 | 9.20 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Gustav Tannenberger | Czechoslovakia | 9.30 | 9.25 | 18.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Wayne Young | United States | 9.35 | 9.20 | 18.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 29 | Rainer Hanschke | East Germany | 9.35 | 9.15 | 18.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 29 | Nicolae Oprescu | Romania | 9.40 | 9.10 | 18.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 31 | Mariusz Zasada | Poland | 9.25 | 9.20 | 18.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 32 | Vladislav Nehasil | Czechoslovakia | 8.95 | 9.40 | 18.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 33 | Sorin Cepoi | Romania | 9.25 | 9.05 | 18.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 33 | Ştefan Gal | Romania | 9.05 | 9.25 | 18.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 35 | Marshall Avener | United States | 9.20 | 9.05 | 18.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 35 | Wolfgang Klotz | East Germany | 9.05 | 9.20 | 18.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Eberhard Gienger | West Germany | 8.80 | 9.40 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Maurizio Milanetto | Italy | 9.15 | 9.05 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Roberto Richards | Cuba | 8.90 | 9.30 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Roland Brückner | East Germany | 9.10 | 9.10 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Dov Lupi | Israel | 9.00 | 9.20 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Peter Rohner | Switzerland | 9.25 | 8.95 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 43 | Tom Beach | United States | 9.15 | 9.00 | 18.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 43 | Árpád Farkas | Hungary | 9.15 | 9.00 | 18.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 43 | Eric Koloko | France | 9.15 | 9.00 | 18.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Ueli Bachmann | Switzerland | 8.80 | 9.30 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Stoyan Delchev | Bulgaria | 8.90 | 9.20 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Peter Kormann | United States | 9.05 | 9.05 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Vladimir Tikhonov | Soviet Union | 9.30 | 8.80 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 50 | Vladimir Marchenko | Soviet Union | 8.55 | 9.50 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 50 | Willi Moy | France | 9.20 | 8.85 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 50 | Łukasz Uhma | Poland | 8.70 | 9.35 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 53 | Béla Laufer | Hungary | 9.30 | 8.70 | 18.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 54 | Ion Checicheş | Romania | 8.85 | 9.10 | 17.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 55 | Gabriel Calvo | Spain | 8.85 | 9.05 | 17.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 56 | Keith Carter | Canada | 9.05 | 8.80 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 56 | Philippe Gaille | Switzerland | 8.90 | 8.95 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 56 | Peter Lloyd | Australia | 8.90 | 8.95 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 56 | Werner Steinmetz | West Germany | 8.90 | 8.95 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 60 | Bernard Decoux | France | 8.85 | 8.95 | 17.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 60 | Roman Tkaczyk | Poland | 8.95 | 8.85 | 17.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 62 | Imre Bánrévi | Hungary | 8.55 | 9.20 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 62 | Ole Benediktson | Denmark | 8.60 | 9.15 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 62 | Reinhard Dietze | West Germany | 9.05 | 8.70 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 62 | Andrey Keranov | Bulgaria | 8.95 | 8.80 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 62 | Reinhard Ritter | West Germany | 8.80 | 8.95 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 67 | Armin Vock | Switzerland | 9.05 | 8.65 | 17.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 67 | Philip Delesalle | Canada | 9.20 | 8.50 | 17.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 69 | Patrick Boutet | France | 8.40 | 9.25 | 17.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 69 | Maurizio Montesi | Italy | 8.95 | 8.70 | 17.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 71 | Michel Boutard | France | 8.80 | 8.80 | 17.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 71 | Jan Zoulík | Czechoslovakia | 8.65 | 8.95 | 17.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 73 | Dimitar Koychev | Bulgaria | 8.65 | 8.90 | 17.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 73 | Dimitrios Janulidis | Czechoslovakia | 8.85 | 8.70 | 17.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 75 | Phil Cheetham | Australia | 8.65 | 8.80 | 17.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 75 | José de la Casa | Spain | 8.90 | 8.55 | 17.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 75 | Bernhard Locher | Switzerland | 8.65 | 8.80 | 17.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 75 | Angelo Zucca | Italy | 8.35 | 9.10 | 17.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 79 | Grzegorz Ciastek | Poland | 8.70 | 8.55 | 17.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 79 | Nelson Fernández | Cuba | 8.50 | 8.75 | 17.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 81 | Georgi Todorov | Bulgaria | 8.30 | 8.90 | 17.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 81 | Tommy Wilson | Great Britain | 8.50 | 8.70 | 17.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 83 | Ian Neale | Great Britain | 7.85 | 9.15 | 17.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 84 | Jeff Davis | Great Britain | 8.00 | 8.90 | 16.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 85 | Marian Pieczka | Poland | 8.55 | 8.20 | 16.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 86 | Jiri Tabak | Czechoslovakia | 6.95 | 9.35 | 16.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 87 | Fernando Bertrand | Spain | 8.60 | 7.60 | 16.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 88 | Toncho Todorov | Bulgaria | 6.95 | 8.65 | 15.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 89 | Zhivko Rusev | Bulgaria | 7.10 | 8.30 | 15.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 90 | Shun Fujimoto | Japan | 9.45 | 0.00 | 9.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| — | Jorge Cuervo | Cuba | DNS | DNS | DNS | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |