Hashimoto Daiki will compete in World all-around final despite finishing as the third best Japanese athlete

Tokyo Olympic all-around gold medallist Hashimoto Daiki will compete in the all-around final at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships after finishing as the third best Japanese athlete Saturday (30 September 2023).

World debutant Chiba Kenta posted the top score in the second of six qualifying sessions, a 85.799. Kaya Kazuma was second at 85.598, followed by Hashimoto's 85.432.

Only two athletes per country can advance to an individual final in artistic gymnastics at the Worlds or Olympics, but a federation is free to substitute one athlete for another provided they would have qualified without the two athlete limit up to 24 hours in advance. Within 24 hours of the final, a medical excuse would be required.

Japanese coach Hiroaki Sato confirmed after competition that they would do just that with Chiba and Hashimoto going through to Thursday's (5 October) all-around final.

"We already had a meeting because we decided to compete three gymnasts in the all around, so these kinds of things might happen," Hiroaki said. "So we predicted it. If Hashimoto didn't win, like, top three, then, we can just change that."

Hiroaki added later that the team was in agreement with the decision.

It was an up-and-down day for Hashimoto who is the top qualifier on the horizontal bar, where he is Olympic champion, but an erorr in the final rotation on the pommel horse, where he scored just 13.266, allowed his teammates to slip by.