Photo/Illutration Daiki Hashimoto waves after his performance on the horizontal bar during the artistic gymnastics men's apparatus final at the Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 3. (Taku Hosokawa)

It's official, gymnast Daiki Hashimoto has become the new face of the Japanese men's gymnastics team. 

Hashimoto, 19, added another gold medal to his growing Tokyo Olympics hardware collection by winning the horizontal bar competition on Aug. 3.

The rising star also assumed the title that Kohei Uchimura had sported for years: "The King.”

Uchimura, 32, a four-time Olympian who won three golds and four silvers in the Games’ artistic gymnastics events, was a favorite to win the event.

But Uchimura fell from the horizontal bar and failed to advance to the final apparatus rounds on July 24.

“I am no longer the star of (the Olympics),” Uchimura said after the event.

But he remained confident about the future of the Japanese team without his leadership. 

“We have enough talent to lead the world’s gymnastics circles,” he said.

One of those talents was Hashimoto, who Uchimura has continually urged on and encouraged.

During a Tokyo Olympics trial in April, Hashimoto started slowly and finished far back in seventh place.

Uchimura approached Hashimoto, who was sobbing uncontrollably, and said, “Let’s put this behind you, and you will be all right.”

The former “king” also gave Hashimoto some technical advice.

Preparing for the Aug. 3 men’s apparatus finals, Hashimoto pledged to himself, “I want to win a gold medal on behalf of Kohei-san.”

Several of his rivals fell before his turn in the pressure-packed Olympic spotlight.

“It was a tricky situation,” Hashimoto said.

But he successfully showcased his skills while notching high difficulty scores and nailed the landing.

“This is a great birthday gift for me from me,” said Hashimoto, who will turn 20 on Aug. 7.

It also marked a triumph for the Japanese gymnastics’ circle.

The horizontal bar is considered the “belle” of the artistic gymnastics’ events.

But the last time a Japanese gymnast won a gold medal in the event at the Olympics was Shinji Morisue at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Hashimoto won two individual gold medals in an Olympics, a feat that not even Uchimura has accomplished.

But the new king is humble.

“Kohei-san has become the world champion many times. I have just climbed the first step,” Hashimoto said. “I will stay humble and never back down, and will keep winning as the world’s No. 1.”

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