China’s Zhang Boheng beats Japan rivals to Asian Games gymnastics gold

NAGOYA – A “more mature” Zhang Boheng won the men’s all-around gymnastics gold at the Asian Games on Sept 21, beating his Japanese rivals ahead of the world championships in October.

China’s Zhang overcame an injury niggle to win gold in Nagoya with 85.065 points, ahead of Paris Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka (84.698) and reigning world champion Daiki Hashimoto (83.865).

Zhang, who said he has grown as an athlete, is hoping to repeat the feat at next month’s world meet in Rotterdam.

“I have kept reviewing my own shortcomings,” said the 26-year-old, who finished second behind Oka at the Paris Olympics and again behind Hashimoto at the most recent world championships.

“Mostly it has been about adjusting the technical elements, and letting my mentality become more and more mature.”

Zhang said it was “an intense competition and a very exciting one”.

“For me personally the pressure was also very high, because I picked up a small injury before coming here and during the competition it did have some effect,” he added.

“But what deserves the most credit is that I overcame the difficulty.”

Oka came into the competition nursing a back injury that forced him to downgrade the difficulty of his routines.

The 22-year-old said: “It was my first competition in a while and it felt like my body had forgotten. But it was good to get this kind of experience before worlds, as frustrating as it is.”

He added that his performance was “the level I am able to produce right now”.

Asked how he got through his routines, he said: “Injections, going into an oxygen capsule, and then giving up the skills that hurt my back.

“The skills that hurt, and the ones that looked like they were going to hurt, I could not do this time.

“This time that worked, and I got through it without the back flaring up.”

Hashimoto, who was making his Asiad debut at 25, said: “I’m trying not to get over-excited. Of course I want to compete at the Asian Games because it’s at home, and of course I want to win the all-around.

“But with the world championships right after it, it’s really difficult.

“There is a part of me that wants to go all out here but it’s hard to control yourself once competition rolls around. And the all-around being on the first day was challenging. I’ve never done it before, and it’s not easy.”

Next up for the trio is the team competition on Sept 23. AFP