(KŌHEI UCHIMURA
(AGE: 21, DATE: JULY 2010, SPORT: ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS
(LOCATION: TOKYO, JAPAN)
In 2010, Kōhei was a rising star of his sport
and many believed that the 21-year-old
could become one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
Physical strength is very important in gymnastics.
Young gymnasts have more strength...
..so that can be an advantage.
At this stage of his career,
Kōhei was living and training in Tokyo.
He'd taken up gymnastics at the age of three.
The Sydney Olympics took place
during my fifth year at elementary school.
Naoya Tsukahara was competing at those games
and I remember wishing I could be like him.
Kōhei was coached by former gymnast, Yoshiaki Hatakeda,
at the Nippon Sport Science University in Tokyo.
He can express movement that he visualises in his head.
He has a great ability to do this
compared to other gymnasts.
His sense of aerial positioning
and his overall feel is outstanding.
Kōhei made his Olympic debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
He surprised many by winning two silver medals.
It was my first Olympics and I was still a teenager
who didn't really know what was going on.
I practised hard, but I don't think
people expected too much from me.
Back in the 1960s and '70s, men's Artistic Gymnastics
had undergone a golden age in Japan,
but the success and popularity of the sport
had waned in the years that followed.
Kōhei hoped to change all that.
The Japanese team are not yet performing
at a world-class level.
We aren't yet recognised as the best team in the world.
Everyone already recognises Uchimura's ability
as a world-class gymnast.
I want him to continue putting in top performances
so everyone agrees that he is great.
My best event is the floor.
It has been my favourite ever since I was small.
It is my big strength.
At the 2012 London Olympics,
Kōhei would become the first Japanese man
to claim the All-Around gold medal for 28 years.
He successfully defended that title four years later in Rio.
My biggest goal is to stand
on the top step of the podium at the London Olympics.
That's my aim.