ROTTERDAM - Japan's Daiki Hashimoto became the second man in history to secure four straight individual all-around titles at the artistic gymnastics world championships on Thursday, joining compatriot and icon Kohei Uchimura.
Tokyo Olympics gold medalist in 2021, Hashimoto topped the pommel horse, parallel bars and horizontal bar to record 85.998 points in the final to achieve the feat in Rotterdam, where he secured his second gold following his team triumph with Japan on Tuesday.
Uchimura, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the individual all-around, won the event six times in a row at the worlds between 2009 and 2015.
"The sense of relief is stronger than that of joy," the 25-year-old Hashimoto said. "I was thinking I'm the closest (to the title) if I can perform to my best."
China's Yang Haonan was second on 84.199 and Joe Fraser of Britain third on 83.531, while Japan's 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist Shinnosuke Oka, who topped the qualification round, settled for eighth following mistakes on the vault and horizontal bar.
The four-man leading pack including Hashimoto were all within one point of each other heading into their respective final apparatuses before Russia's Arsenii Dukhno, who was 0.101 ahead of Hashimoto, fell on the horizontal bar.
Hashimoto was perfect with his three release moves as well as his landing to score 14.766 on the apparatus to conclude a solid day in which he was third on the rings and vault, with his 10th in the floor exercise not proving costly.
After performing on all six apparatuses in the team final, the 25-year-old Hashimoto seemed to have ceded the favorite tag to the 22-year-old Oka, who performed on three less two days earlier. But the elder gymnast showed his mettle.
"It was tough physically," Hashimoto said. "(But) I'm someone who thinks it's fun to beat all these guys. I feel as if I can show you something much better."
The result was not a surprise to Uchimura, who was impressed by his junior countryman's continuous dominance.
"I was watching thinking Hashimoto would win eventually. You need significant resolve to win while being seen as if it's a norm," the 37-year-old Uchimura said.
"Rather than his performance, his mind is strong. I'm sure his sense of responsibility has grown to keep standing on the same stage as I did."
Hashimoto is relishing the prospect of challenging Uchimura's six straight wins, while also urging his younger countrymen to up their game.
"I'm the only one who can enjoy challenging his record, which makes me happy," Hashimoto said. "The evolution of gymnastics in the past few years have been insane. I can't win unless I'm part of it."
"I want other Japanese gymnasts to emerge too. But I have no intention moving from my position, even by a millimeter. I've resolved myself that they have to surpass me if they want to be the world No. 1, and I want to stand in their way."
