Olympics-Gymnastics-'Heir is born': Japan hails new young champion

[ASFN Admin]

With banner headlines and explosions of confetti on the internet, a Japan saddened last weekend by the abrupt end of one gymnastic king's storied Olympic career hailed on Thursday the ascent of his heir. Daiki Hashimoto topped the podium on Wednesday in the men's all-around gymnastics final with an electrifying horizontal bar routine, becoming at 19 both the youngest-ever men's Olympic gymnastics all-around champion and also winning Japan's 100th overall Olympic medal in the sport. That was more than enough for Japan to anoint him their new gymnastics hope, following the end of "King Kohei" Uchimura's storied Olympic career - including two consecutive Olympic golds in the men's all-around - when he fell from the horizontal bar and didn't make it to the final apparatus rounds.

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