Olympics-Gymnastics-Hashimoto seeks 'no-regrets' performance in Paris

Gymnastics - 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships - Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium - October 8, 2023 Gold medallist Japan's Daiki Hashimoto celebrates during the medal ceremony after winning the horizontal bar during the men's apparatus finals /Yves Herman/File Photo

PARIS - The rivalry between Japan and China may take centre stage in the men's gymnastics team event at the Olympics but defending all-around champion Daiki Hashimoto's main agenda is to leave Paris with no regrets.

The Asian powerhouses are favourites to battle it out for the team gold in the absence of Tokyo Games winners, the Russian Olympic Committee athletes. Russia are banned from taking part in team events in Paris following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

While Team Japan have collectively set a goal of winning the title this time, Hashimoto said he was focused on putting in a performance that he would not look back on with regret.

"I understand that the (Japan-China rivalry) is what everyone is interested in," he told reporters after training alongside Chinese, Ukrainian and other gymnasts at the Bercy Arena venue on Wednesday.

"But it's not just Japanese and Chinese athletes here. There are athletes from other countries too and I want all of us to have a good tournament.

"I hope that all athletes participating here will have a Paris Games free of injury and regret, and I'm one of those athletes."

Japan took the team silver in Tokyo by falling just 0.103 point short of Russia. China won the bronze.

"We (Japan and China) get compared but if we all put in a performance that we won't regret, in the end the colour of the medal will simply follow."

Hashimoto said he was happy with his own training and that a finger injury he had sustained few months ago was back to about 90%.

Tokyo all-around silver medallist Xiao Ruoteng, meanwhile, said a severe shoulder injury sustained before arriving in Paris meant he would save his strength mainly for the team event.

"The Olympic Games this time might be more challenging for me (than the last one in Tokyo in 2021), but I have enough experience to handle the challenges," he said.

Asked about China's chances against Japan, the 28-year-old said the teams' strengths and weaknesses were "fairly balanced."

"The Japanese team is younger and may have better stamina, but we have more experience."

Artistic gymnastics will run from July 27 to Aug. 5, with the men's team final on July 29.