Hashimoto wins Olympic men’s all-around gymnastics

Japanese teenager Daiki Hashimoto won the coveted men’s all-around gymnastics title with a superb final horizontal bars routine at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old edged out China’s Xiao Ruoteng with Russian world champion Nikita Nagornyy taking bronze.

Hashimoto succeeds compatriot Kohei Uchimura, the 2012 and 2016 all-around champion who chose not to go for a hat-trick after persistent shoulder injuries.

After Japan took silver behind Nagornyy’s Russians in the team event on Monday, Hashimoto was determined to go one better at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

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Placed third going into the final rotation, the horizontal bar, he seized his moment, putting in a near-flawless routine.

Waiting for his score wearing a broad smile and the Japanese flag over his shoulders, Hashimoto rightly sensed he’d done enough.

His 14.933 lifted him to a total of 88.465, 0.4 clear of Xiao on 88.065.