TOKYO - Having shot to stardom with three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, Shinnosuke Oka heads into the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as the linchpin of Japan's men's artistic gymnastics team.
The 22-year-old won gold in the men's all-around, horizontal bar and team events in the summer of 2024 in France, with Japan clinching the team title in a dramatic turnaround against China.
"I want to prove Japan is the best in the world when it comes to artistic gymnastics," the Okayama native said of the looming showdown between the rival powerhouses of the sport.
Consistency has been a strength for Oka, who finished behind Daiki Hashimoto at the national championships in April before beating the Tokyo Olympic all-around gold medalist to win a third straight NHK Trophy a month later.
Oka has increased his difficulty level on some of the six apparatuses, while continuing to score highly for execution, to cement himself as Japan's most reliable source of points in the team event, in which one mistake can be decisive.
The 155-centimeter all-rounder also stands to benefit from a new rule. On apparatuses other than pommel horse, a 0.1-point bonus will be given for a perfect landing, something Oka has made one of his strong suits since suffering a right knee ligament rupture in 2022.
Oka has been practicing on the Chinese-made apparatuses to be used at the Asian Games and vows to raise his precision further.
The well-known sauna enthusiast referenced a newer hobby, surfing, as he outlined his approach to the Asian Games and beyond.
"I want to ride the wave and make it continue until the world championships (in October)," he said.
