GYMNASTICS/ Japanese men’s top goal is beating China for Olympic gold_スポーツ の 経済 学
GYMNASTICS/ Japanese men’s top goal is スポーツ の 経済 学beating China for Olympic gold
REUTERS
June 26, 2024 at 18:35 JST
- Share
- Tweet list
Japan's Daiki Hashimoto reacts after his routine on the horizontal bar during the men's apparatus finals at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, Oct. 8, 2023. (REUTERS)
Having missed the men’s gymnastics team title by a hair at Tokyo 2020, Japan is determined to beat their biggest rival China to take gold in Paris, setting that as their top priority with one month left to go until the Games begin.
Three years ago, the Russians beat Japan by 0.103 points - a sliver of a number that etched itself into the minds of the three Japanese gymnasts and their head coach who will be returning to the Olympics looking to erase those painful memories.
“We had the bitter experience of losing by the narrowest of margins, of 0.103,” all-around title holder Daiki Hashimoto told Reuters after a team training session in Tokyo last week.
“I want us to win that gold and enjoy the view from the podium.”
Revenge may not taste as sweet, though, as Japan and China will battle it out without Russia, with the country banned from taking part in team events over the war in Ukraine.
The three powerhouses have claimed every men’s team gold since the 1952 Helsinki Olympics with the exception of the Soviet-boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Games when the United States took the title.
“After losing to Russia by 0.103 in Tokyo, we’ve been working hard towards Paris fueled by a sense of revenge, so there’s a part of me that’s a bit sad that they won’t be there,” said head coach Hisashi Mizutori, a former team gold medalist.
“Still, it’s a big chance for us to grab that medal so we’ll do what we need to do.”
FROM RIO TO PARIS
A victory by Japan would extend the record it holds to eight team golds, and its athletes said they had every confidence to do so thanks to a well-balanced team and their superior collective “D-score”, or difficulty score, over China.
Based on simulations of the teams’ routines on the six apparatuses, Japan’s D-score tally was likely to top China’s, Mizutori said, meaning the key over the remaining weeks would be to polish the routines and minimise any mistakes.
“That was quite a surprise, since China had long had a higher D-score than Japan,” said Kazuma Kaya, who won bronze in the pommel horse in Tokyo.
“In that sense, we have the strongest five members this time.”
Led by Hashimoto, Japan took the World Championships title in October with a total score of 255.594 points - almost two points ahead of China - though the runners-up were without their ace all-rounder Zhang Boheng.
With 24-year-old Zhang added to the Olympic roster this time, China will be a formidable force, Mizutori said, allowing Japan little room for error.
Zhang is set to give Hashimoto a run for his money with the latter still nursing a finger injury that he said had him at 60% at last week’s training.
“I don’t think the pain will disappear completely but I want to get as close to 100% as possible” before Paris, he said, adding that he aimed to defend his all-around and horizontal bar titles, for a total haul of three gold medals.
Mizutani said he saw the make-up of the Paris squad as being similar to the one that took the crown in Rio in 2016. That five-man team comprised four members that conceded the gold in London 2012 and a young addition in Kenzo Shirai.
“We have experienced members and new members this time so it’s relatively similar, and the balance is really good,” Mizutani said.
“And just as the team in Rio had (seven-times Olympic medalist Kohei) Uchimura, we have Hashimoto so I think we can expect a similar result.”
Hashimoto and Kaya will be joined by Wataru Tanigawa, Takaaki Sugino and 20-year-old Shinnosuke Oka on the team.
Artistic gymnastics will run from July 27 to Aug. 5, with the men’s team final on July 29.
(责任编辑:ホットスポット)
- ·伊吹吾郎の孫・遼平が東日本新人王準決勝に向け計量パス 「決勝で勝つ姿を見せたい」
- ·【14日の予告先発】巨人・井上温大―ヤクルト・高橋奎二、西武・羽田慎之介―ロッテ・小島和哉ほか
- ·「黒巫鏡談」舞台は朝鮮・京城、怪奇作家と異端の巫女のバディが悪霊に立ち向かう(試し読みあり)
- ·【ヤクルト】山野太一が8回2失点で神宮初勝利 “師匠”の引退発表に奮起し「節目の日に勝てた」
- ·藤波辰爾、小林邦昭さん「虎ハンター」でスター街道を走った時の思いを披露「敵対していたけど、うれしいものでした」
- ·【YouTube】巨人敗戦も…G球場ではヘルナンデスが捕球練習開始 ! マジで日本シリーズある?【ウォーター報知】
- ·横浜FMハッチソン監督「最後まで戦う姿勢を出してくれた」数的不利で97分間戦った選手にねぎらい
- ·戸田の土曜注目馬【中京1R】
- ·浜口京子、父・アニマル浜口さん代理で小林邦昭さん「通夜」参列…「父も言葉が詰まちゃって…胸が苦しくなるぐらい」
- ·「やり残したことがない」引退表明のヤクルト・青木宣親が21年間のプロ野球人生につけた点数
- ·バレーを愛した荒木田裕子さん死去前に「パリ五輪みんなで真鍋ジャパンを応援してください」
- ·岡山大が全日本大学駅伝に初出場 青学大から編入した石鍋颯一を中心に急成長
- ·吉田拓郎、ラジオがテーマのミニアルバムを11月20日に発売 22年に歌手活動撤退も今作限りの復帰
- ·【オリックス】8回にアクシデント続出…吉田が、宇田川が、若月が負傷交代
- ·「火垂るの墓」世界190か国で配信 「ようやく見られた」「涙がこぼれた」などの声
- ·【オリックス】アクシデント続出!1試合で4人負傷交代 痛すぎる3連敗 3位と7・5差変わらず
- ·「ふてほど」出演者なのに…袴田吉彦「行ったことない」「知らない」「出してない」ことばかり
- ·横浜FMハッチソン監督「最後まで戦う姿勢を出してくれた」数的不利で97分間戦った選手にねぎらい
- ·ベガルタ仙台ユースMF横山颯大が来季トップ昇格「1日でも早くユアスタでプレーしたい」
- ·【ヤクルト】山野太一が8回2失点で神宮初勝利 “師匠”の引退発表に奮起し「節目の日に勝てた」