By OCA Young Reporter Zaynab Kawtharani
Nagoya, Japan, September 23, 2026: China won the men’s artistic gymnastics team gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on Wednesday, scoring 255.095 points to finish 1.269 ahead of Japan at Nagoya General Gymnasium Rainbow Hall.
Japan took silver with 253.826 points, while Chinese Taipei claimed bronze with 239.896.
The contest came down to the horizontal bar, the final apparatus. China carried a lead into the rotation, but Sun Wei came off the bar during his routine. His teammates encouraged him as the competition continued.
“We are a team and we have known each other for years,” said Zhang Boheng. “We kept encouraging him, because the competition was not over and, even with his mistake, we were still in front.”
Zhang said the team chose routines that would protect its lead while giving each gymnast a strong chance of completing his performance. He described the victory as especially meaningful after winning the individual all-around gold two days earlier.
“Today I am more excited, because the Chinese gymnastics team has always put the team first,” he said.
Lan Xingyu said China had expected to gain ground on the rings and parallel bars, while recognising that the horizontal bar would decide the result against Japan.
Tian Hao, who competed on the horizontal bar, recalled shaking hands with Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka before his routine and realising that both gymnasts were nervous. He said the difficulty of his elements may have been slightly lower than usual, but the team secured the result it wanted.
For Sun, the medal belonged to all five Chinese gymnasts. “It was a decision all of us made together as a team,” he said. “There must be a part of me in the success.”