With his win, Hashimoto delivered on his pledge to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Kohei Uchimura.
Daiki Hashimoto is just 19, but he is already Japan’s leading men’s gymnast, the heir apparent to his idol, Kohei Uchimura, the greatest gymnast of his generation. Appearing in his first Olympics, Hashimoto turned in a stellar performance in the team event this week that nearly secured Japan a gold medal. On Wednesday night, Hashimoto secured his fast emerging reputation when he came from behind to win the gold medal in the individual men’s all-around event. After a stellar performance on the high bar, the last of the six segments of the program, Hashimoto pumped his fists as cheers went up in the Ariake Gymnastics Center. Hashimoto stood with a Japanese flag draped over his shoulders while he waited to find out what color medal he had won. When his score was announced and he vaulted into first place, Hashimoto waved the flag and pumped his fists again. He was officially Japan’s next great gymnast, surpassing Uchimura, who won gold at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. “Five years ago, I didn’t imagine myself standing here,” Hashimoto said.
