LONDON (Reuters) - Feng Zhe showed off his mastery of the parallel bars to seize the Olympic gold medal for China on Tuesday.

Feng produced a solid swinging exhibition incorporating a number of impressive somersaults, twists and handstands to earn 15.966 as all of his main rivals fluffed their routines.

Brothers Kazuhito and Yusuke Tanaka had raised the possibility of completing a Japanese one-two after earning the top two qualifying scores but both wobbled and wavered across the bars on Tuesday and left empty handed after finishing fourth and seventh respectively.

Feng, the 2010 world champion, surpassed Germany's Marcel Nguyen by 0.166 of a point while Frenchman Hamilton Sabot picked up a surprise bronze.

Feng's success gave the Chinese men's gymnastics team their third gold of the London Games.

(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Mark Meadows)