All-Japan All-Around Championships 2024: Cramped arms and all, Hashimoto Daiki takes fourth straight title

Hashimoto Daiki breezed to a fourth consecutive All-Japan Gymnastics All-Around Championship on Sunday (14 April) - with both arms cramping up on the last two events.

Talk about a tolerance for pain.

“I thought I’d top 89 with ease - even a 90 maybe if I was perfect on the horizontal bar,” Hashimoto said, after romping to the men’s title with a 176.164 over the two days - four points ahead of Oka Shinnosuke (172.264) and five ahead of Kaya Kazuma (171.596). “But I was kind of worried about cramping up. So it is what it is. Lesson learned.

“Through the first four events I felt great but I hadn’t really worked on the stamina to get through the two days which I was a little bit concerned about.

“I think that’s the takeaway for the NHK Trophy. But I was happy with how I felt.”

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Hashimoto Daiki: Zhang Boheng is the man to beat in Paris

A year ago, the Olympic and world all-around champion accomplished the first three-peat here since Uchimura Kohei despite nursing a fractured lower back, feeling his way through each apparatus.

This week at the Takasaki Arena in Gunma Prefecture, however, a fully fit Hashimoto has been a class apart from his peers, in total control of mind and body - until he hit the parallel bars on Sunday.

As he landed off the apparatus, Hashimoto immediately clutched his arms in pain, running to his coach for aid.

Hashimoto was rubbed down and went back out for the horizontal bar, his Olympic gold medal-winning event, but the cramps returned as soon as he started his routine. Somehow, the 22-year-old held on and made it to the finish although he almost stumbled off the safety mats on the landing, which resulted in a very pedestrian 13.800 by his standards.

While the crowd sighed in relief after it was revealed that Hashimoto simply cramped up and was not hurt, it was a shame he couldn’t sustain his level of performance through all six events. Before the parallel bars, he had produced a 15.000 on the floor, 15.133 on the pommel horse and 15.100 on the vault.

Hashimoto felt good enough that he thought he could surpass Zhang Boheng’s 89.299 from the Asian Games last year - which he hopes to take another crack at the 16-19 May NHK Trophy. Hashimoto - the only Japanese gymnast to have secured a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - will find out who his team-mates in Paris will be at the NHK Trophy, also to be held in Takasaki.

“Zhang scored an 89.2, I think, so if I can score 89 overseas I definitely think I can win (Paris),” Hashimoto said. “It’s hard to tell from domestic competitions alone but I want a performance that will translate well overseas.

“I managed to get through the two days without an injury. The NHK Trophy will be the last competition before Paris. I want to compete there with confidence so I hope I figure out whatever I need to figure out physically.”

*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.