South Korea waits on vault champ Yang to prove fitness

Gold medalist Yang Hak-seon of South Korea celebrates on the podium during an awarding ceremony after competed on the vault at men's apparatus final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo October 16, 2011. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea has given Olympic vault champion Yang Hak-seon some breathing room in his race to regain fitness after injury left his chances of making the team for the Rio Games hanging by a thread.

Yang ruptured his right Achilles in March during practice but was included in a preliminary list for the Rio Olympics announced on Sunday by the Korea Gymnastic Association (KGA).