At 22, Hashimoto is an iconic figure in Japan. He already is, having become the youngest gymnast in history to win an Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020. This achievement earned him respect and recognition.

It was widely predicted that he would be the favourite at Paris 2024. On Wednesday 24 July, he told reporters not to compare him with gymnastics great Uchimura as he aims to match his countryman by retaining the Olympic all-around title in Paris.

However, a ligament injury to the middle finger of his right hand in May, when he was training for his final competition before the Games, threatened to derail his progress. 

He said he expects to be ready when gymnastics begins in Paris on 27 July, but doubts remain about his form. His talent is immense. Hashimoto is a two-time world all-around champion and will be one of the favourites to win the title, even if his preparations have been less than ideal.

If he wins, he will be on a par with the legendary Uchimura, who also won the all-around title at the Paris Olympics. Hashimoto has always been seen as the good-natured farm boy from the suburbs of Tokyo. Modest and simple, he has the potential to achieve Olympic glory.

Japan’s icon became the youngest men's all-around champion in Olympic history when he took gold aged 19 at the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Games three years ago. Uchimura, who retired in 2022, won successive all-around Olympic titles at London in 2012 and in Rio in 2016. He was also part of the Japan team that took gold in Brazil.

Hashimoto will attempt to emulate Uchimura when the gymnastics competition gets underway in Paris later this week but he is determined to do it his own way. "He told me not to think about repeating as Olympic champion," Hashimoto said of Uchimura, after practicing at the Bercy Arena with the rest of his Japan team-mates on Wednesday.

"He told me the most important thing was for me to give the performance that I wanted to give. I think his records are amazing and I really respect him, but I can't become him, he's Kohei Uchimura and I'm me”, added the Olympic athlete.

Hashimoto, also the two-time defending world champion, has faced doubts over his fitness heading into the Games. He damaged a ligament in the middle finger of his right hand while practising for a competition in May, and he told reporters in Paris that his finger has improved, even if some swelling remains when he wakes up in the morning. "I can bend my finger a lot now, I can make a fist," he said.

"There is a little bit of pain but it has no impact on my performance. I'm not worried about it." Hashimoto said he was feeling confident after practicing at the Olympic competition venue for the first time. "I haven't been able to do all six apparatus events since I injured my finger," he added, and concluded that “it was good that I was able to do all six today, even if I did make some mistakes."

Hashimoto hitting the results in Tokyo 2020

Hashimoto became the youngest men's all-around champion in Olympic history when he won gold at the pandemic-hit Tokyo Games three years ago. In the horizontal bar competition he also triumphed. This unprecedented success made him an idol in Japan, capable of filling the void left by Uchimura, who retired in 2022, but who had previously won consecutive Olympic all-around titles in 2012 and 2016 and was part of the Japanese team that won gold at the Rio Games.

Hashimoto's success marked a changing of the guard after the long and dominant reign of Uchimura, widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. The former has the chance to follow in his illustrious compatriot's footsteps.

He has the backing of Uchimura, who is also predicting a team title for Japan. "I believe Hashimoto, who trains the best in the world, is the strongest in the world," Uchimura told the Japanese media. 

"However, the Olympics have the power to change athletes. It's about whether Hashimoto can maintain his overwhelming strength and whether his rivals will change," concluded the former champion.