“Fairy Japan” Clinches Berth for 2028 Olympics, 1st for Japan

Frankfurt, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan won the silver medal in the group all-around competition at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday, securing a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which is awarded to the top three finishers. The Japanese team, nicknamed “Fairy Japan,” scored 28.150 points in the ball routine and 28.550 points in the hoop and club routine for a total of 56.700 points. Spain took the gold medal, and Brazil finished third. This is Japan’s first berth for the 2028 Games across all sports, as well as the first in the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around competition since the Tokyo Games, held in 2021. The team comprises Hisano Taguchi, Megumi Nishimoto, Kaseno Tanabe, Natsumi Hanamura, Yuna Tanaka, and Rin Manabe. As none of the members apparently knew that they were the first Japanese athletes to qualify for the 2028 Games, they reacted with excitement, saying, “Oh, really?” and “We can pass the baton (to Japanese athletes in other sports) in a good mood.” In the hoop and club routine, Japan performed cleanly without any notable mistakes, earning a higher artistic score than the winning Spanish team and secureing third place, within the qualification range. In the ball routine, Japan showcased their strength with dynamic, well-defined “ninja”-themed movements, executing even the most difficult sections flawlessly. After their performance, they struck confident victory poses, sharing their joy upon seeing the scores that propelled them to second place overall. Nishimoto, who had experienced the frustration when Japan failed to qualify for the previous Paris Olympics, said: “We held numerous meetings and united our spirits. I’m truly happy that we gave it our all in both routines and secured our (Olympic) spot.” At last year’s world championships, Japan claimed its first group all-around title. Since then, the team roster has changed, but they have continued to train hard. Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics, Japan’s captain, Taguchi, said, “We’ll make every effort to continue improving.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]