ROTTERDAM - Japan women won the team bronze for their first podium finish at the artistic gymnastics world championships in 60 years on Wednesday, booking their berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Japan scored 164.063 points from four apparatuses in the final at Rotterdam Ahoy, where China scored 165.764 for its first win in 20 years and the United States finished second on 165.531 to miss its eighth straight title. The three nations qualified for the Olympics.
The team of Rina Kishi, Haruka Nakamura, Misa Nishiyama, Mana Okamura and Aiko Sugihara matched Japan's best finish from 1962 in Prague and in 1966 in Dortmund, Germany.
"It's been a great day. We were united in trying to enjoy the final while being selfless," 27-year-old Sugihara said after Japan bounced back from a fifth-place finish in the qualification round through Monday.
Last year's world champion in the floor exercise scored 13.900 in the event in the final in the Netherlands, helping Japan move up to third after two apparatuses.
"I thought I needed to lead the team as the oldest member and ended up shouldering responsibility and putting pressure on myself," Sugihara said of the qualification round. "I switched my mindset and finally managed to perform the way I am."
Nishiyama and Kishi both scored 13.966 and Sugiyama 14.200 for a 42.132 total in the vault, the third apparatus, creating a sizeable gap with France, which eventually finished fourth on 161.130 overall.
"Getting to medal while managing the event well will really hold us in good stead going forward," said head coach Mai Murakami, the floor world champion in 2017 and 2021, when she also won bronze at the Tokyo Games.
"It felt unrealistic until now, but we took a step to be in a position where we can stand tall to say we're aiming for gold next."
