Japanese men’s top goal in Paris is beating China for gymnastics team gold

TOKYO – Having missed the men’s gymnastics team title by a hair at the Tokyo Olympics, Japan are determined to beat their biggest rivals China to take gold in Paris, setting that as their top priority with less than one month left to go until the Games begin.

Three years ago, the Russians beat Japan by 0.103 points – a sliver of a number that etched itself into the minds of the three Japanese gymnasts and their head coach who will be returning to the Olympics looking to erase those painful memories.

“We had the bitter experience of losing by the narrowest of margins, of 0.103,” all-around title holder Daiki Hashimoto told Reuters after a team training session in Tokyo last week.

“I want us to win that gold and enjoy the view from the podium.”

Revenge may not taste as sweet, though, as Japan and China will battle it out without Russia, with the country banned from taking part in team events over its involvement in the war in Ukraine.

The three powerhouses have claimed every men’s team gold since the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, with the exception of the Soviet-boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Games when the United States took the title.

“After losing to Russia by 0.103 in Tokyo, we’ve been working hard towards Paris fuelled by a sense of revenge, so there’s a part of me that’s a bit sad that they won’t be there,” said Japan head coach Hisashi Mizutori, a former team gold medallist.

“Still, it’s a big chance for us to grab that medal so we’ll do what we need to do.”

A victory by Japan would extend the record they hold to eight team golds, and their athletes said they had every confidence to do so thanks to a well-balanced team and their superior collective “D-score”, or difficulty score, over China.

Based on simulations of the teams’