FRANKFURT - Japan finished second in the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around at the World Championships on Saturday to secure the country's first qualification berth across all sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The defending champion Japanese team of Hisano Taguchi, Megumi Nishimoto, Natsumi Hanamura, Yuna Tanaka, Kaseno Tanabe and Rin Manabe scored a combined 56.700 points from two routines to take the silver medal in Frankfurt.
"I am overwhelmed and it still doesn't feel real," Taguchi said. "We prepared in Japan so that we could perform even under pressure."
Spain won gold with 57.450 points, while Brazil finished third as the top three teams sealed Olympic quota places.
Japan's rhythmic gymnastics group qualified for the Olympics for the first time since the Tokyo Games in 2021.
"Our determination to make it to Los Angeles was stronger than anyone else's. Securing the berth on our own has given us confidence," Taguchi said, noting that she and Nishimoto were members of the team that missed out on the Paris Olympics in 2024.
