Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto cemented his legacy as one of the sport's greats on Wednesday, securing his third consecutive men's all-around title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta. China's Zhang Boheng claimed silver in a dramatic final that saw shifting leaderboards and high-stakes performances.
The rivalry between Hashimoto and Zhang intensified as they competed in the same rotation group, starting with floor exercises and progressing through pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. Zhang's standout moment came during the rings rotation, where a high-difficulty routine propelled him from seventh to second place.
A pivotal moment occurred during the fifth rotation when Japan's Shinnosuke Oka fell during his floor exercise, eliminating him from medal contention. Hashimoto maintained composure under pressure, extending his lead with a flawless parallel bars routine that left Zhang trailing by 0.4 points.
Zhang demonstrated remarkable resilience after a minor error on the horizontal bar – the final apparatus – quickly recovering to complete his routine. Hashimoto then delivered a masterclass in precision gymnastics, sticking a perfect landing to score 85.131 points overall.
The result reinforces Asia's dominance in artistic gymnastics, with athletes from the region claiming seven of the last eight men's all-around world titles. For business professionals tracking Asia's sports industry, the event highlights growing commercial opportunities in gymnastics-related ventures across the continent.
