Daiki Hashimoto hampered by injury ahead of World Championships

Olympic all-around champion Daiki Hashimoto will be hampered by a wrist injury at the World Championships.

The 21-year-old’s duel with Zhang Boheng of China has been given top billing in Liverpool.

Japan were the only team to take on full sets on the first day of podium training and their star man fell twice on pommel, also looking sluggish on parallel bars.

He looked better on floor and rings but Hashimoto shared his physical struggles with reporters.

“I need to improve a little bit more, especially on pommel horse, because I fell a few times,” said the Narita native.

“Pommel horse is the first apparatus in the qualifications, so I need to improve it. But overall, it’s OK.”

“I want to get the team gold medal and the all-around gold. I’m a little bit concerned about it, but I just want to focus on what I can do.

“Both my wrists are overworked because I practised too much.

“My body is in pain, but I decided to compete. It’s difficult, I can’t control my body, so to get the gold medal will be difficult.”

On who he sees as his biggest challenger, Hashimoto said: “For the team, it’s China, and for the all-around, it’s also China.”