iMSPORT.TV – Despite a recent back injury, the Olympic All-Around champion is hoping to gild his medal collection at his first senior World Championships this week in Jakarta (INA), 15 months after a stunning Olympic debut last summer saw him rise to become the king of gymnastics.
Oka captured the All-Around crown in Paris two days after delivering a clutch performance to help Japan win the team title over continental rival China, then capped the Games with a third gold on Horizontal Bar. This year he followed up by defending the Asian title he first won in 2023.
“I’m only imagining winning,” Oka told the Japanese media before flying to Jakarta on Monday. After a topsy-turvy few months, the 21-year-old says he feels fit and ready for his Worlds premiere, which is also likely to be his biggest challenge since Paris. “I’ve gradually been able to show good form again, and that’s given me confidence,” he added.
All this means Oka will be competing in Jakarta with a target on his back, and his biggest rival may be the one who is also closest to home: Hashimoto Daiki, the All-Around and Horizontal Bar champion at the Tokyo Olympics. The 24-year-old also won the World All-Around titles in 2022 and 2023. A hand injury that compromised his preparation for Paris affected his performance at the Olympics, leaving him sixth All-Around.
Olympic Champions Oka, Hashimoto set for All-Around rematch at Jakarta World Championships
The two have seesawed in competition this year: Oka edged Hashimoto for the prestigious NHK title in May then won the Asian Championships in June. Not to be outdone, Hashimoto made a statement with a golden All-Around finish at the World University Games in July.
If there is one spot where Oka is vulnerable, it may be on Horizontal Bar. The 21-year-old has taken a few notable spills in competitions this year, including at the World University Games, where a peel sent him spinning off the apparatus in the event final. Another fall during warmups at the All-Japan Championships caused enough of an injury that Oka withdrew from the competition, leaving the field clear for Hashimoto.
Oka says the injury has affected his preparations for the World Championships, Oka’s first at the senior level. In 2019, at age 15, he captured the Junior World title. But after a period of rest, he returned to full training in late September.
“When I first tried to go full out again, the pain came back a little, but after adjusting my technique and working on entering the skills straighter, the pain disappeared. For now, I can train without any pain,” he reported.
Source : gymnastics.sport
(amr/adm)
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