The favorites continue to topple like dominoes! On July 27, during the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Qualification rounds at Bercy Arena, Brody Malone faced two unfortunate falls. While performing his routine on the high bars, Malone underwent a disaster, one that had him out of the all-around race at the Paris Olympics. And now, adding to the list is his rival and top contender, Daiki Hashimoto!

The latest news from the Arena is that Malone’s rival and Japan’s top contender, Daiki Hashimoto, has had a rough day, too. Hashimoto had bagged the all-around gold at Tokyo, but in the qualification round at Paris 2024, he fell short on the high bar dismount, landing him straight on his stomach!

Indeed, Hashimoto’s Tokyo showdown, while he was just 19 was a teaser for the world to see his potential. The reigning Olympic gold medalist was also a horizontal bars winner in the previous Games. However, that had dashed Malone’s hopes as he finished fourth, narrowly being edged out in the apparatus. But given Hashimoto’s recent slip-up, the title now seems up for grabs. Surprisingly, it has been the high bar that shattered Brody Malone’s plans too in Paris.

Earlier in the day, Malone has started off with commendable pirouettes. But then, he was attempting to pull off a full-twisting layout Tkachev, one that did not see its completion unfortunately. Yet, he did not let the momentum fizzle out. Next up, Malone tried to ace the Cassina with a stretch catch, supplementing it with a Kolman. This is where he had a botched landing on the bar, before he fell off.

But as for Hashimoto, a lot was at stake this time. Well, he was coming out of a ligament injury in his middle finger, which made his participation status look dicey. Nonetheless, the 22 year old was not short of courage. He had said, “I think it looks good, but my finger is still not 100 percent, so I can’t let my guard down.” But, so far, it looks like at least one of Hashimoto’s Olympic titles is in jeopardy!

Brody Malone vs Daiki Hashimoto: a fuming rivalry?

Quite recently, Brody Malone stated how Hashimoto being a high bar specialist is something that inspires him. With Hashimoto’s gymnastic images gracing the walls of Malone’s gym, he made clear how his arch-nemesis in a way pushes him to “get [his] butt in gear and work hard.” In fact, he mentioned he was looking forward to the clash with this elite opponent in Paris. But is this a fairly new tussle between the two? Well, no. There have been instances when the two went head-to-head in competitions.

For instance, after the Tokyo battleground, the two met at the 2022 World Championships. Who prevailed over whom? Well, Hashimoto was titled the all-around champion, while Malone etched history on the high bars. Ever since 1979, Malone became the first American gymnast who attained this feat on the high bars. But, it was a close call, as Malone prevailed over his Japanese counterpart by a one tenth of a point!

For Brody Malone, this 2022 win was his sweet redemption. As at the 2021 World Championships, the winning edge gravitated in Hashimoto’s court. Hashimoto had bagged a silver with his 15.066, while Malone had to make do with a bronze, courtesy of his 14.966. However, it was expected that the two would vie for the horizontal bar spot in Paris. But, it seems there might be a new gymnast on the throne, now that the favorites have missed the mark.