Hashimoto's hopes were dashed in the final leg. Last year's Olympic champion finished sixth after a poor contest in which he suffered a similar incident to the team final the day before, on the same exercise, on the bow horse. There he lost the thread of the routine and fell off the apparatus. This time, however, she was unable to recover to think about the podium or to fight for the first place on the horizontal bar.

At the end of her final phase, she swallowed her tears as best she could and kissed the Japanese flag emblazoned on her T-shirt. Hashimoto, visibly emotional, collapsed on the floor of the Bercy Arena, overwhelmed by the weight of the moment. The 22-year-old's disappointment was palpable, but it could not dampen his hopes for the future. The athlete was quick to bounce back and change his approach, expressing an optimistic outlook for Los Angeles 2028 alongside Oka.

"The domestic level of Japanese gymnastics has improved, and that opens up a new future for us," Hashimoto reflected. "Oka had to overcome an injury to compete here, and I was very touched by his determination. He will continue to improve, and I also want to improve so that we can compete together at the next Olympic Games."

Oka's victory marked the fourth consecutive all-around title for Japan, continuing a winning streak that began with Kohei Uchimura's triumphs in 2012 and 2016. Oka scored 86.832 points, missing out on victory to China's Boheng Zhang by just 233 thousandths (86.599). The bronze went to the giant of Chinese gymnastics in the last cycle, 28-year-old Xiao (86.364), who by his emotion and the kisses he blew to the crowd may have been bidding farewell to future competitions.

Despite the personal setback, Hashimoto, whose Olympic preparation was marred by a finger injury, left Paris full of pride. His performance was crucial in the Japanese team's narrow victory over China, with Hashimoto securing the final victory on the horizontal bar. "I fought for the team," she said. "This competition was one I didn't leave with any regrets."

Hashimoto is the dominator of men's artistic gymnastics over the past five years. Since the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, where he made his letter of introduction, he had won, before arriving in Paris, thirteen medals at the top international competitions: ten world and three Olympic (two golds and a silver at Tokyo 2020).