Mission accomplished.
Reigning World and Olympic all-around champion Hashimoto Daiki, Kaya Kazuma and their Japanese team struck gold for the first time since 2015 Tuesday night (3 October 2023) at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
The squad held off a surging People's Republic of China team that just days ago looked like they might miss out on the medal round all together, grabbing the last spot into the final in eighth place as the prelims wrapped.
Since the qualifying round, China subbed in traveling reserve Lin Chaopan for Shi Cong. Lin had come directly from competing at last week's Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where his team won gold.
In the final, China gave all that they had, but came up short with Japan taking the title at 255.594. China finished with 253.794. The United States reached the podium for the first time since 2014, when they also took bronze. Their score was 252.428.
"We want to get team final gold," Kaya, who was part of the golden 2015 effort, said earlier this week.
Hashimoto, who had an up-and-down day in qualifying, was solid in the team final, recording five scores in the top five of the day.
His highlight came as the competition's final competitor on the horizontal bar. He soared high on two big catch-and-a-release elements before sticking his double-twisting, double layout dismount for a 14.366 and the team title.
"I’ve competed in team event [at the World Championships] since 2019, but only got silver and bronze medals," said Hashimoto afterward. "Finally, I got a gold medal, which is the one I really wanted. I’m very happy."
The squad overcame a rough start on the floor exercise, where they were only fourth best on the day.
From there, however, it was smooth sailing, as Japan's totals on the pommel horse, parallel bars and horizontal bar topped the field.
It will be a subdued celebration for Hashimoto, who hopes to become the first man since the great Uchimura Kohei to win back-to-back World all-around titles when the final is contested on Thursday (5 October).
"We still have the all-around coming," Hashimoto said in Japanese of his post-event plans, before adding in English, "Long sleeping."
Team USA's first medal in nine years
American Yul Moldauer, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, has been part of every U.S. squad at the Worlds since 2017. Team USA's bronze medal Tuesday was a long-time coming for the University of Oklahoma graduate.
"It's unreal," said Moldauer. "This has been a long journey."
The 27-year-old is part of a blended U.S. team where he very much the veteran, joined by 2022 World team member Asher Hong and newcomers Khoi Young, Fred Richard and Paul Juda.
Richard delivered the squad's final routine - a 14.533 - on the horizontal bar to ensure they would take third.
"Before [my high bar routine], I was just naming all the people in my life that have been so important," said Richard of his approach to the pressure-packed exercise. "I just gave it everything for them. It turned out amazing, which is awesome."