Shocking Upset Shakes Men’s Gymnastics All-Around Final

Wednesday’s winner upset the two main favorites in a nail-biting contest.

PARIS, France — Shinnosuke Oka of Japan clinched the men’s all-around gymnastics title at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, delivering a stunning upset against the competition’s top favorites.

Oka, a former junior world champion, amassed 86.832 points, outpacing China’s Zhang Boheng and Xiao Ruoteng to capture his second gold medal in three days in his Olympic debut.

Defending champion Daiki Hashimoto of Japan fell during his pommel horse routine, settling for sixth place. Despite Hashimoto’s setback, Japan celebrated another remarkable feat, having edged China with a last-minute turnaround in Monday’s team final.

In the initial stages, Zhang was the other notable contender but faltered during the floor exercise. This early mistake cost him the gold, even though he made a strong comeback later in the competition. Zhang had excelled in qualifying rounds, surpassing both Oka and Hashimoto.

Oka capitalized on his rivals’ errors with a stellar pommel horse routine, taking the lead after just two rotations. His performances on the vault, parallel bars, and high bar were equally flawless.

Zhang struggled with a shaky floor routine, landing on his hands and knees during his second pass. This unusual error left him more than a point behind Oka.

Hashimoto’s troubles intensified when he lost balance on the pommel horse and fell. He completed his routine but appeared frustrated, nursing what seemed to be a shoulder issue.

Zhang, who also received frequent massages on his left arm, fought hard, scoring 15.300 on the parallel bars and 14.633 on the high bar. Despite his efforts, he missed the gold by just 0.233 points.

Hashimoto and Zhang have developed a compelling rivalry over the past three years. Zhang won the all-around world title in 2021, but Hashimoto took the championship the next year. However, it was Oka’s resurgence that secured Japan’s fourth consecutive Olympic all-around title.

No Russian athletes participated due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The women’s all-around final is scheduled for Thursday. Simone Biles and her U.S. teammate Suni Lee are set to become the first two Olympic all-around champions to compete against one another.