Japan Keep Their Crown as Britain's Medal Dream Collapses in Rotterdam's Men's Team Final

Jake Jarman with his medal at the 2022 European Championships. File photo: Norman Seibert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Jarman's vault scored 14.866 for Britain in Rotterdam.

I have watched a lot of gymnastics finals, and I can tell you this: the three-up, three-count format is the cruelest three minutes in sport. Every score counts. There is nowhere to hide. And in Rotterdam on Tuesday night, it found Courtney Tulloch at the worst possible moment.

Great Britain had led the men's team final at the 2026 World Gymnastics Championships through four of the six rotations. After three rotations the lead was real. After four, the British men had actually stretched it. Rotterdam Ahoy was getting loud. You could start doing the maths.

Then came the parallel bars. Tulloch came off. In a final where all three scores count, a fall is a catastrophe, not a footnote. Japan pounced, Russia closed, and by the time the smoke cleared the scoreboard read: Japan 251.928, Russia 250.329, China 249.193, Great Britain 247.395. Fourth. No medal.

How Britain's night fell apart

The frustration is that the first half of the night was superb. Harry Hepworth — the rings specialist who announced himself in Paris — posted 14.666 on still rings and 14.600 on vault. Jake Jarman, whose all-around potential has had British Gymnastics whispering for years, hit a 14.866 on vault. Great Britain did not fluke its way to the front of a world final. It belonged there.

And that is what will sting. Japan's own night was far from clean. Worlds rookie Shohei Kawakami produced a brilliant 14.566 on parallel bars to put Japan into the lead — then fell off the high bar in the very next rotation while leading off for his team. On any other night, that is the moment a title slips. But Japan have Daiki Hashimoto, the 2020 Olympic all-around champion and a three-time world all-around champion, and Hashimoto simply refused to blink. He went last on high bar, stuck his dismount, scored 14.866, and that was that.

Japan's dynasty grows — and Russia are back

This is Japan's third consecutive Olympic or world team title, counting the Paris 2024 triumph. They have now strung together the longest reign at the top of the sport in nearly half a century — since the dynasty that won everything from 1960 to 1978. With Hashimoto and Shinnosuke Oka, the last two Olympic all-around champions, both in the team, this was never a rebuilding side. It was the best team in the world refusing to hand the baton to anyone.

The night's other big story was silver. Russia, competing officially as "World Gymnastics 2" after the governing body lifted the ban that followed the invasion of Ukraine, took second at 250.329. No flag, no anthem — but a genuine return to the top table. This was Russia's first team appearance at a global championship since winning the Tokyo Olympics, and their first team medal since gold in 2019. Sergei Naidin's 14.566 on high bar in the closing rotation held off China for silver.

China, for all their quality — Zou Jingyuan's 15.366 on parallel bars was arguably the single best routine of the night — paid for mistakes on vault, high bar and floor. Bronze, 249.193.

What about everyone else?

Switzerland were the quiet overachievers: fifth on 246.497, comfortably clear of the United States. And the Americans? Sixth, on 245.161 — their worst finish at an Olympics or worlds since 2006. Danila Leykin's fall on high bar (11.466) and Fred Richard coming off the pommel horse (12.866) told the story of a night the US will want to forget. They did not lock down an LA 2028 spot — the top three (Japan, Russia, China) did — and must now do it at the 2027 Worlds.

For Britain, the maths is just as cold. Fourth by 1.798 points from bronze. One fall on the parallel bars. That is the margin between a medal ceremony and a very quiet flight home. Joe Fraser and the rest will not need telling.

What comes next in Rotterdam

The women take the floor on Wednesday. China topped qualifying (164.996), with the USA second (164.529) and Russia third — meaning the American women's 15-year winning streak at the worlds, stretching back to 2011, is genuinely under threat. Britain's women qualified eighth. After Tuesday night, nobody in the British camp will take anything for granted.

The cruel lesson of three-up, three-count: being in the lead after four rotations is worth exactly nothing until the final dismount is landed. Britain found that out the hard way.

Sources

• Reuters — « Japan's late charge seals third straight world team crown, Russians claim silver » (October 20, 2026) : reuters.com
• NBC Sports — « Japan extends its longest men's gymnastics reign since its dynasty with repeat world team title » (October 20, 2026) : nbcsports.com
• USA Today — « US men leave gymnastics worlds without Olympic berth after disappointing team final » (live updates, October 20, 2026) : usatoday.com
• International Gymnast Magazine — « Japan claims men's team gold in dramatic World Championships final in Rotterdam » (October 20, 2026) : intlgymnast.com