Japan wins men's team gold at gymnastics worlds, earns 2028 Olympic place
In short
Japan won the men's team all-around final at the gymnastics world championships in Rotterdam on 20 October with 251.928 points, retaining the title it won in 2023. Russia finished second, 1.599 points behind, and China third; the top three teams earn places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Read the full story 2 min read
Japan won the men's team all-around final at the gymnastics world championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 20 October. Japan totalled 251.928 points over six apparatus, retaining the title it won at the 2023 edition, according to Yomiuri, Yahoo! News Japan, Nishi-Nippon Shimbun, Nikkei and Jiji Press. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 ]
Russia finished second, 1.599 points behind, with 250.329 points, and China was third with 249.193, Yahoo! News Japan reported. The top three teams receive places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the final doubled as qualification for those Games. NHK said Japan secured its place with the gold medal. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 9 ]
Japan fielded Daiki Hashimoto, Shinnosuke Oka, Shohei Kawakami, Ryosuke Doi and Fusuke Maeda. Japan was first in qualifying. The eight teams in the final started without carried-over scores, and the totals of three gymnasts' scores per apparatus decided the result. Hashimoto competed on all six apparatus. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 ]
Yahoo! News Japan said Japan was fourth after floor exercise, with Hashimoto scoring 13.700 and Oka 13.866. Hashimoto then posted 14.466, the best score of the field on pommel horse, and Oka scored 14.100 on rings. Kawakami scored 14.366 on vault, and Hashimoto 14.400. On parallel bars Kawakami scored 14.566, Hashimoto 13.933 and Oka 13.600; the report said British and Chinese gymnasts fell on the apparatus and Japan moved into the lead. TBS reported that Japan was third after rings. [ 4 , 11 ]
On the last apparatus, high bar, Kawakami fell and scored 13.100. Maeda, who competed only on that apparatus, scored 14.333, and Hashimoto closed with 14.866 and a clean landing, according to Yahoo! News Japan, Nippon TV and TBS. Hashimoto said, according to Yahoo! News Japan, that everyone had performed strongly and he was glad to have made everyone gold medallists. [ 4 , 5 , 10 , 11 ]
Japan lost to China in the team event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September, finishing second, when Oka had back pain before the event, Yahoo! News Japan reported. Nippon TV carried comments from Uchimura, who praised the team as dependable juniors but said there was more to be done. The individual all-around final is scheduled for 22 October, Yahoo! News Japan said. [ 4 , 10 ]
Why it matters
The result gives Japan's men's team a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics two years ahead of the Games, according to the outlets. Russia and China also qualified as the next two finishers.
Key facts
- Japan won the men's team all-around final at the world championships in Rotterdam on 20 October with 251.928 points. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 ]
- Russia was second, 1.599 points behind Japan, and China was third. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 ]
- The top three teams receive places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. [ 2 , 3 , 9 , 10 ]
- Japan fielded Daiki Hashimoto, Shinnosuke Oka, Shohei Kawakami, Ryosuke Doi and Fusuke Maeda. [ 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 ]
- Hashimoto, who competed on all six apparatus, scored 14.866 on the final high bar routine. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Japan finished first in qualifying; the final's eight teams started with no carried-over scores. [ 3 , 5 , 8 , 10 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Japan won the men's team final with 251.928 points and retained the title it won at the previous team all-around edition in 2023. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 ]
- Russia took second place, 1.599 points behind Japan, and China third; all three teams earned places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 ]
- Hashimoto scored 14.866 on high bar to close Japan's final. [ 4 , 5 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
Still unclear
- The date of the final. Most outlets say 20 October in Rotterdam; TBS NEWS DIG's text refers to 21 October, though its header gives Japan time.
- Maeda's club affiliation. Yahoo! News Japan, Nishi-Nippon Shimbun and Nikkei list Hayabusa SC; Nippon TV and TBS list Leaf gymnastics club.
- Japan's tally of team titles. Only Yomiuri says this was a third straight team win across worlds and Olympics, and only Jiji says it was Japan's eighth title overall.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Sankei Shimbun published on 20 October that Hashimoto competed on all six apparatus in the final. [ 1 ]
- NHK reported on 21 October that Japan had won gold and Olympic qualification. [ 2 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun reported Japan's repeat title, with Russia second and China third. [ 3 ]
- Nikkei carried the Kyodo report of the final. [ 8 ]
- Nippon TV published Uchimura's reaction. [ 10 ]