Already in Japan! LA Olympics 'first ticket' secured... Rhythmic gymnastics bounces back from Paris setback to start strong

*This content was translated by AI.

Japan has already secured its first berth for the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics. The team that kicked things off was the "world champion" rhythmic gymnastics national squad.

Reuters reported on the 16th (Korean time) that Spain, Japan, and Brazil have secured their spots in the rhythmic gymnastics team event at the 2028 LA Olympics.

Spain, Japan, and Brazil climbed onto the podium consecutively at the all-around team competition of the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships held today in Frankfurt, Germany, securing their Olympic berths for the LA Games. Spain took gold, Japan won silver, and Brazil claimed bronze.

As a result, these three nations became the first countries worldwide to secure their spots in the rhythmic gymnastics team event at the LA Olympics.

Japan's achievement is particularly meaningful. Japanese rhythmic gymnastics will return to the Olympic team stage for the first time since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics — seven years later.

Previously, Japan failed to secure a berth in the rhythmic gymnastics team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics and could not even advance to the main competition.

However, Japan quickly rebounded from its setback in Paris. Last year, it won its first-ever gold medal at the World Championships in the all-around team event, reaching the pinnacle of world gymnastics.

Although Japan lost the title to Spain at this tournament, it secured silver and, more importantly, the crucial berth for the LA Olympics.

For Hisano Taguchi of Japan, who personally experienced the pain of missing out on Paris, this result was even more special.

Taguchi said, "Wearing such a heavy medal makes my heart swell with emotion." She added, "My teammate Nishimoto and I both have experience of failing to secure a spot for the Paris Olympics, so this opportunity to compete in the LA Games feels especially precious to us."

She further noted, "Securing our Olympic berth so early this year has given us tremendous confidence."

Meanwhile, with Spain, Japan, and Brazil already confirmed for LA at this tournament, the remaining rhythmic gymnastics team event berths will be determined through additional competitions including the 2027 World Cup series, the 2027 World Championships, and the 2028 continental championships.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.