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▼ Japan Gymnasts Win 1st Olympic Team Gold in 12 years
- Category:Other
RIO DE JANEIRO — Japan won the men’s team gold medal in gymnastics on Monday at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, besting its rivals to grab its first Olympic title since the 2004 Games in Athens.
Rebounding from an error-ridden preliminary round — Japan went into the final as the fourth-best qualifier — defending individual champion Kohei Uchimura, Ryohei Kato, Yusuke Tanaka, Kenzo Shirai and Koji Yamamuro combined for a total score of 274.094 points.
Despite a mistake in the opening pommel horse event, the team began logging high scores in the third event, the vault, to mount a comeback and finish well ahead of second-place Russia.
Rebounding from an error-ridden preliminary round — Japan went into the final as the fourth-best qualifier — defending individual champion Kohei Uchimura, Ryohei Kato, Yusuke Tanaka, Kenzo Shirai and Koji Yamamuro combined for a total score of 274.094 points.
Despite a mistake in the opening pommel horse event, the team began logging high scores in the third event, the vault, to mount a comeback and finish well ahead of second-place Russia.
After it was all over, the team members placed their arms around each other’s shoulders, with Uchimura in the center. The Japan team was jubilant as they confirmed the word “Japan” lit up on top of the scoreboard.
Yamamuro fell off the pommel horse to lose 1 point in the first round, ending up in sixth place among eight contenders. This bad start meant no more major mistakes could be allowed. The Japan gymnasts used their distinctive strength to recover in the vault and the parallel bars, while in the floor exercise they had no equal.
Shirai led off on the floor and earned a high score with difficult twists.
This was followed by a steady performance by Kato.
Uchimura demonstrated his strength in all six events.
Yamamuro fell off the pommel horse to lose 1 point in the first round, ending up in sixth place among eight contenders. This bad start meant no more major mistakes could be allowed. The Japan gymnasts used their distinctive strength to recover in the vault and the parallel bars, while in the floor exercise they had no equal.
Shirai led off on the floor and earned a high score with difficult twists.
This was followed by a steady performance by Kato.
Uchimura demonstrated his strength in all six events.
“I’ve won medals in Beijing and London, but this one is the weightiest of them all,” Uchimura said with the gold medal in his hand. “I don’t know how to put it, but something, what I might call our tenacity, is making this medal twice as weighty as the previous ones.”
After winning gold in Athens, Japan had to settle for runner-up at the next two Olympics in Beijing and London, finishing both times behind China.
Japan finally overtook China at the 2015 world championships, winning the world team title for the first time in 37 years and snapping China’s winning streak at six.
After winning gold in Athens, Japan had to settle for runner-up at the next two Olympics in Beijing and London, finishing both times behind China.
Japan finally overtook China at the 2015 world championships, winning the world team title for the first time in 37 years and snapping China’s winning streak at six.
The victory in the Rio Games marked the second consecutive team win for Japan, following the world championships last year.
The gymnasts on the current team have been aiming for the top, revering the team gold won in Athens. However, Uchimura said, “We have a history of our own.”
The victory in Rio de Janeiro marks a new chapter in the history of Japan’s gymnastics.
The gymnasts on the current team have been aiming for the top, revering the team gold won in Athens. However, Uchimura said, “We have a history of our own.”
The victory in Rio de Janeiro marks a new chapter in the history of Japan’s gymnastics.
- August 10, 2016
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