Nagoya [Japan], September 22: China's Zhang Boheng successfully defended his men's all-around title in artistic gymnastics at the Asian Games on Monday, avenging recent losses to a pair of Japanese rivals on their own turf.
Zhang edged Japan's Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka and three-time world champion Daiki Hashimoto, scoring a total of 85.065 points that he capped with a safe and solid routine on the horizontal bar. Oka finished second with 84.698, while Hashimoto took the bronze with 83.865.
"It was a long, long journey for me," said Zhang, who entered the competition nursing an arm injury.
"The two competitors from Japan were wonderful."
Since winning the 2021 world title - also captured in Japan - and adding the 2022 Asian Games gold at home in Hangzhou, Zhang had played second fiddle to both Oka and Hashimoto in the big competitions.
He finished second to Oka at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was runnerup to Hashimoto at last year's world championships in Jakarta.
But before a nearly full crowd at Nagoya City General Gymnasium, Zhang calmly kept pace with the Japanese duo throughout the competition, taking the lead in the fifth of the six rotations with a flawless routine on the parallel bars for 14.700 points - the highest score on any apparatus among the Big Three.
In the final rotation, China was on the horizontal bar and Japan on the floor. Zhang had yet to perform his routine when Japanese hopes for victory seemed to all but end when both Oka and Hashimoto wobbled after their first tumbling pass, with Hashimoto stepping out of bounds.
Zhang needed only to safely negotiate his high bar routine, which he did, ending with a big hop after the landing for 14.033 points and the gold.
"I tried my best not to make a big mistake," Zhang said. "Of course, I was tense, but I think I did well to control my mental state. I was able to relax, actually."
Zhang's victory gave China the men's all-around gold for the 12th time in the 14 times the event has been held in the Asian Games, including the three straight by the legendary Li Ning from 1982 to 1990. Japan gymnasts have won the other two golds.
While a defeat before a home crowd was disappointing, the Japanese pair could also see the big picture and laud the respect Asia now commands in the gymnastics world.
"I'm happy there was such a high-level competition in Asia that brings attention around the world," Hashimoto said. "It's exciting to compete against guys who have been No. 1 in the world like Zhang and Oka."
Oka, who has been contending with injury issues of his own, looks forward to more clashes between the trio.
"Since I won the gold in Paris, I haven't done much to speak of," Oka said. "It's tough to lose to the Chinese opponent, but I hope the three of us can continue this rivalry in the all-around for a long time."
The three will be back in action in the team competition on Wednesday before the individual apparatus finals on Thursday and Friday.
Barring a late withdrawal, Zhang and Oka qualified to go head-to-head in the floor, rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar. Hashimoto only registered to compete in the pommel horse, for which he topped the qualifying.
Source: Qatar Tribune
