Kitakyushu, Japan, 24 Oct (Xinhua) -- China's Hu Xuwei defeated Japan's Olympic double champion Daiki Hashimoto twice in the 50th World Gymnastics Championships held on 24 October, winning two championships on single and double bars, becoming the only "double champion" in this world championship.
Hu Xuwei in the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Du Xiaoyi
Hu Xuwei's performance in the finale event of the day was particularly brilliant, and his opponents were not only Japan's horizontal bar Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto, but also the legendary Uchima Hanghei who competed in his hometown of Kitakyushu. Daiki Hashimoto led with 15.066 points, and the home audience gave him a lasting round of applause as if he had pocketed the gold medal. Hu Xuwei was the last to appear, conquering the referee with a difficulty of 6.700, scoring a high score of 15.166 points, and more than 2,000 Japanese spectators sighed.
The parallel bars match was also thrilling, before Hu Xuwei came on, Hashimoto Daiki and another Japanese player, Xuan Hema, and the Philippine star Yuluo had a wonderful performance, Yuluo scored a high score of 15.300 points. Hu Xuwei was not afraid of strong hands, successfully challenged the difficulty of 6.6, and scored 15.466 points after landing steadily, surpassing Yuluo to win the championship. Satoshi added a bronze medal to the Chinese team with 15.066 points, and Daiki Hashimoto was fourth.
Champion China's Hu Xuwei (center), runner-up Filipino Yuluo (left) and runner-up China's Shi Cong at the parallel bars award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Du Xiaoyi
Hu Xuwei, who heard the national anthem sound twice and hung two gold medals around his neck, was very excited, and he told Xinhua News Agency that winning two gold medals in the first world championship was indeed a "dream come true."
Hu Xuwei said: "In fact, the most difficult is the parallel bars competition, the pressure is a bit big, but I believe that I have the absolute strength to get this gold medal." After winning the championship on parallel bars, the mentality is more relaxed, and the horizontal bar competition wants to go up and perform. ”
In order to fight for the gold medal, before the final, Hu Xuwei and the coach decided to temporarily increase the difficulty of the two competitions. He said: "I usually have a lot of difficulty reserves, temporary additions and subtractions, everything is under control. ”
Hu Xuwei (right) celebrates after the horizontal bar final. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Du Xiaoyi
Hu Xuwei said that after Hashimoto's high score on horizontal bar, he did not pay attention to the situation on the field, thinking about his technical actions, and has been immersed in his own rhythm, and the thunderous applause of the audience has not affected him.
"I've been waiting for an opportunity like this, I've been working hard for it, I feel like I've been fully prepared, and I feel lucky to have seized this opportunity."
Hu Xuwei, from Guangxi, who is 24 years old and who missed the Tokyo Olympics before, maintains a very calm attitude towards the future in the face of such an honor, saying: "Walking off the podium, everything is clear, I will start again and set new goals." ”
Daiki Hashimoto, who became famous in the First World Games in Tokyo, competed in three events, all of which were lost to Chinese athletes, and in the men's all-around final, he lost to Zhang Boheng, who also did not participate in the Olympic Games.
Champion China's Hu Xuwei (center), runner-up Japan's Daiki Hashimoto (left) and runner-up America's Brody Malone at the horizontal bar final ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Du Xiaoyi
In the balance beam competition, the young player Luo Rui made a mistake on the ground and ranked fifth with a score of 13.300 points. Luo Rui finished first in the preliminaries, and at the end of the year, she also entered the World Series for the first time, winning the bronze medal in the uneven bars competition the day before. Japan's Yurai Ashgawa won the balance beam championship, which was also the first gold medal won by the Japanese team in this competition.
In the women's free gymnastics competition, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Murakami Jasmine successfully appealed, and the score changed from second to first, surpassing the previous women's all-around champion Melnikova and winning the second gold for the Japanese team.
In all 12 events, the Chinese team, which is dominated by young players, ranks first in the medal table with five golds, one silver and two bronzes, and the Japanese team with the main participants ranks second with two gold, five silver and one bronze.
The 2022 Gymnastics World Championships will be held in Liverpool, England.
Source: Xinhua News Agency