Gold medalist Zhang Boheng (C) and silver medalist Shi Cong (L) of China, and bronze medalist Kazuma Kaya of Japan pose on the podium during the awarding ceremony for the men's individual all-around of artistic gymnastics at the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)
China's Zhang Boheng took the men's gymnastics all-around gold, with his compatriot Shi Cong claiming silver.
CHENGDU, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's gymnast Zhang Boheng won the men's all-around title while his compatriot Shi Cong took the silver at the Chengdu Universiade here on Friday.
Their strongest competitor, Japan's Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto, quit after rotation 2 due to injury.
China's Zhang and Shi were in the same group with Hashimoto and the defending champion Kazuma Kaya. In the floor exercise, the first rotation, Hashimoto made his first mistake of landing, then he seemed to be off his game. In the second rotation, he fell off the pommel horse and got a head injury. He withdrew from the competition in tears.
Zhang kept a dominant position in almost all apparatuses, collecting a total of 86.733 points to secure the gold, despite falling off the horizontal bar in the last rotation.
Zhang Boheng (front L) comforts Daiki Hashimoto (front C) of Japan during the final. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)
Shi topped in horizontal bar and was the second-best in pommel horse, rings and parallel bars, following Zhang to take the silver by just 0.335 points behind. Japan's Kazuma Kaya took the bronze with 84.098 points.
It was the third time for Zhang and Hashimoto, the two world champions, to contest for the crown. "We are well-matched opponents and friends. Zhang's talent keeps motivating me to do better all the time," Hashimoto said before the all-around final.
Being on a par with Hashimoto in Paris Olympic Games, Zhang said he was happy to have such a respected competitor. "We motivate each other a lot, he always makes me feel more enjoyable in the competition."
"I was sorry and pitiful to see Hashimoto quit today. Hope he could recover soon and meet me again in the coming competitions," added Zhang. ■
