PARIS, France — Japan’s young gymnastics sensation Oka Shinnosuke made headlines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by clinching an unexpected gold medal in the men’s artistic gymnastics all-around final on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old, competing in his debut senior championship, delivered a stellar performance to upset the pre-event favorites, including China’s Zhang Boheng, the reigning 2021 world all-around champion, and Japan’s Hashimoto Daiki, the Tokyo 2020 all-around champion. Oka’s score of 86.832 secured Japan’s fourth consecutive victory in the prestigious event.
Zhang Boheng of China captured the silver medal with a score of 86.599, while his compatriot Xiao Ruoteng, the 2017 world champion, rounded out the podium with a score of 86.364.
In a surprising turn, Hashimoto Daiki, who had won the past two world titles, faltered during the competition and finished in sixth place, trailing Oka by 2.234 points.
The competition saw its share of challenges early on, with Zhang Boheng struggling on the floor exercise, which affected his overall standing after the first rotation. Meanwhile, Hashimoto faced difficulties on the pommel horse in the subsequent rotation, further reshuffling the leaderboard.
Despite the initial setbacks, Zhang mounted a strong comeback in the latter stages of the competition, showcasing resilience with impressive performances on subsequent apparatuses. His efforts moved him up to fifth place by the midway point of the competition.
The victory by Oka Shinnosuke underscores Japan’s continued dominance in men’s artistic gymnastics and solidifies his emerging status as a rising star in the sport. As the Paris 2024 Olympics unfold, the men’s gymnastics competition continues to captivate with thrilling displays of skill and determination on the global stage.
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