Japan edges past China to win men’s team gold at world gymnastics championships
By Ryan General
Japan secured the coveted men’s team title at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, outshining China by a narrow 1.8 points in a nail-biting competition on Tuesday.
Historic victory: Led by reigning world and Olympic all-around champion Daiki Hashimoto, the Japanese national gymnastics team orchestrated a stunning comeback to win at the 2023 event held in Antwerp, Belgium.
Japan earned a total score of 255.594 points to edge past defending champions China, who secured 253.794 points. The title marks Japan’s first gold at a major team international competition since 2015.
Tough competition: China, powered by the substitution of Lin Chaopan for Shi Cong, settled for silver after the loss. The U.S. also made an inspiring podium finish, securing the bronze with a score of 252.428. This marked the first time the U.S. had clinched a medal in either the World Championships or Olympic Games since 2014.
Sealing the win: Despite a somewhat shaky start in the qualifying rounds, Hashimoto delivered a final score of 14.366 via a mesmerizing double-twisting, double layout dismount on the horizontal bar.
“I’ve competed in team event [at the World Championships] since 2019, but only got silver and bronze medals,” Hashimoto was quoted saying. “Finally, I got a gold medal, which is the one I really wanted. I’m very happy.”
Hashimoto has now set his sights on the upcoming all-around competition on Thursday, aiming to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Uchimura Kohei and secure back-to-back World all-around titles.
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