The Men’s Artistic Gymnastics – All-Around Final is currently underway at Sportpaleis Antwerp. This follows a thrilling showdown that unfolded during the team finals on Tuesday, October 3rd. At the World Championships Team Finals, Team USA secured a commendable 3rd place, bringing home the bronze medal, trailing behind China. Japan clinched the gold and the coveted title of World Champion. This achievement ended the United States’ longest podium drought since a gap from 1984 to 2001.

This success was achieved by a youthful team, with the top three performers being 19-year-old Asher Hong, 20-year-old Khoi Young, and 19-year-old Fred Richard. Their performance lived up to the promise that had labeled them as medal favorites leading up to the event. Among the formidable competitors, Japan’s Olympic champion, Daiki Hashimoto, stood out as one to watch. However, in the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics – All-Around Final, Richard managed to outshine the Olympic champion right at the start.

USA sends Japan a message right from the get go at the World Gymnastics Championships

A tweet from Inside Gymnastics exclaimed, “Such a solid opening for Fred Richard (14.633!), and we’re off and running in Antwerp. ICYMI Hall, Jarman, Hashimoto, Chiba, and Karimi are in the top group.”

Meanwhile, another tweet revealed, “Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) FX: Double double. Back 3.5. Full punch randi – hops forward. Stuck bwd double twist down the side. Good Russian work. Wide arm press. Bwd 2.5 punch layout. Back triple to dismount – big steps forward and almost falls on dismount but saves it. 13.466 – that is not good.”

In a surprising turn of events, Fred Richard had managed to surge ahead of the champion at the start of the event with Hashimoto finish 14th after the first rotation. However as the competition unfolded the tables turned for these two star gymnasts.

The final standings of the night

Daiki Hashimoto successfully defended his all-around title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp and topped the standing with an impressive 86.132 points. Illia Kovtun of Ukraine took silver at 84.998 points, while a dramatic turn saw China?s Sun Wei, Kenta Chiba of Japan, and Frederick Richard of the United States fall during their final routines.

However Richard earned a bronze medal with 84.332 points in the final standings and made history as he became the Youngest Individual US Men?s Medalist, ending a long US medal drought and becoming the first Black American man to win a world all-around medal since 2003.

Read more: Rehashing Olympic Qualification, Team USA Revisits Scoring for Performance at World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2023

He also became the First American Person of Color to Medal in the Men?s AA and the First US Man to win two World Medals since 2014. At the end of the event the two stars Richard and Hashimoto were seen embracing each other showing the camaraderie and team spirit that embodies the sport despite the rivalry in the game.

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