96 Gymnasts Competing for Olympic Medals

1 team, 1 All-Around, 6 apparatus finals, and 96 male athletes: Men’s Artistic Gymnastics competitions in Paris are set to host the most skilled gymnasts, who will strive to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Teams Final

96 Gymnasts competing for Olympic medals: Teams, All-Around and 6 Apparatus finals. The competitions in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics in Paris 2024 are set to host the most skilled gymnasts.

There is anticipation for a potential showdown between Japan and China for the gold medal. With the absence of Russia, the two Asian teams have clearly dominated this quadrennial event; however, they have not yet faced each other at the Olympic Games with the current group of gymnasts. Both nations exhibit exceptional depth, to the extent that they could potentially field a second team capable of reaching the podium.

In the Chinese team, the national All-Around champion Shi Cong was omitted in favor of veteran Sun Wei, who has not displayed the best results in recent competitions. Eventually, Sun Wei got injured in podium training and was replaced by Su Weide. However, this decision may not be unprecedented, considering Zhang Boheng was also left out of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

Nonetheless, the team has a remarkable track record with 15 gold medals at Worlds and two Olympic champions. Zou Jingyuan and Liu Yang are strong contenders for titles on the Parallel Bars and Still Rings, respectively. Additionally, Xiao Ruoteng, the bronze medalist in the All-Around in Tokyo, has a good chance of making the podium in Paris, while Zhang Boheng is one of the top favorites for the All-Around podium.

The selection process for the male Japanese team is rigorous and intricate, yet transparent, employing a mathematical approach. Japan also boasts considerable depth, with numerous gymnasts competing in international events since 2021, including stellar specialists. Hashimoto Daiki secured his spot by claiming victory in the All-Around at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp. Oka Shinnosuke, Kaya Kazuma, and Tanigawa Wataru earned their spots through outstanding performances at the NHK Trophy.

If Japan and China avoid significant errors, they are likely to secure the top 2 positions. As for the contest for the bronze, the main contenders are the USA, Great Britain, and Ukraine. This assessment is based on their performances since 2022. Team GB achieved a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2024 Euros.

The US team delivered an impressive performance in Antwerp, and the inclusion of Bordy Malone is expected to impact their results in Paris significantly. Ukraine emerged victorious in the team final in Rimini, scoring 0.168 higher than Japan at the 2023 Worlds Championships. Considering their performance at the Euros, Britain would have secured a silver medal in Antwerp, while Italy would have claimed the bronze.

My prediction:
Gold: Japan
Silver: China
Bronze: Ukraine

This should also be a matchup between Japan and China: Hashimoto Daiki of Japan, the current Olympic and World Champion, versus Zhang Boheng of China, the 2021 AA World Champion and Gold medalist at the latest Asian Games. At the 2021 World Championships, Zhang Boheng emerged victorious. One year later in Liverpool, Daiki claimed the title. However, at the University Games, Daiki sustained an injury and was compelled to withdraw from the competition. In 2023, Zhang Boheng competed at the Asian Games while Daiki participated in the World Championships, with both winning gold.

Nevertheless, some formidable contenders could potentially disrupt these expectations. Illia Kovtun of Ukraine, who has amassed billions of medals at World Cups, Euros, and Worlds since 2020, is a strong podium contender as demonstrated in Antwerp. The same applies to Xiao Ruoteng (bronze medalist in Tokyo), Frederick Richard (silver medalist in Antwerp), or Milad Karimi (5th place in Antwerp). It is important to consider the gymnasts who have the potential to excel at the opportune moment in the right location, such as Félix Dolci, Kaya Kazuma, Yumin Abbadini, and Noe Seifert.

Just one trivia: do you remember who secured the bronze medal in the All Around final at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing? It was Benoît Caranobe from France, who, until then, had only claimed one medal at international competitions (vault at the 2001 Universiade). Thus, the outcome of the men’s artistic gymnastics competitions in Paris remains unpredictable.

My choice:
Gold: Hashimoto Daiki
Silver: Zhang Boheng
Bronze: Illia Kovtun

More info:
All male gymnasts qualified for Paris
Official info about Men’s Artistic Gymnastics in Paris