Kōhei Uchimura
Japanese gymnast who dominated all-around titles across two Olympic cycles.
Kōhei Uchimura, born January 3, 1989, in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast. He started training at age three at his parents’ sports club in Nagasaki Prefecture; both his mother and father, Shuko and Kazuhisa, were competitive gymnasts. At 15, he moved to Tokyo to train under Olympic gold medalist Naoya Tsukahara. His younger sister, Haruhi, also became a gymnast. Uchimura once said, “I don’t believe in God. I never had lucky charms. All I believe in is practice.”
His Olympic career includes seven medals—three gold and four silver—across team, all-around, and floor exercise events. He also earned 21 World Championship medals in team, all-around, floor, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. Uchimura is the first gymnast, male or female, to win every major all-around title within a single Olympic cycle, and he accomplished that feat twice. He won the individual all-around silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, then gold at both the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games. In Rio, he also took team gold.
Uchimura’s senior debut came at the 2007 World Championships in Stuttgart, where he placed third on vault and ninth on floor. Later that year, he won team silver at the 2009 Summer Universiade in Belgrade, plus individual gold on floor and bronze on vault. At the 2008 Olympics, he contributed to Japan’s team silver and earned the all-around silver—Japan’s first Olympic medal in that event in 24 years. He also finished fifth in the floor final. That same year, at age 19, he became the youngest Japanese man in 12 years to win the national all-around title.
At the 2009 World Championships, he dominated the all-around, winning by 2.575 points and posting top scores on floor, rings, vault, and high bar. He repeated as all-around champion in 2010, winning by 2.251 points, and helped Japan to team silver. In 2011, he won his third consecutive world all-around title—a first for any gymnast—by a margin of 3.101 points, roughly the gap between second and fourteenth place. He also took gold on floor, bronze on high bar, and team silver at those championships. The International Gymnastics Magazine praised his “combination of tremendous difficulty, supreme consistency and extraordinary elegance of performance.”
- born
- January 3, 1989
- field
- Artistic gymnastics
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- First gymnast to win every major all-around title in a single Olympic cycle, doing so twice; three Olympic golds and four silvers; 21 World medals
Quick Facts
- Nickname
- King Kohei / Supermura / Superman
- Country
- JPN · MAG
- Birth Date
- 1989-01-03
- Birth Place
- Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
- Height
- 162 cm
- Discipline
- MAG
- Natlteam
- 2007–2022
- Club
- Ringer Hut
- Collegeteam
- Nippon Sport Science University (Nittaidai)
- Headcoach
- Hiroyuki Kato
- Assistcoach
- Yoshiaki Hatakeda, · Koji Gushiken
- Formercoach
- Naoya Tsukahara
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Uchimura was born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, and began gymnastics at age 3 at his parents' sports club in Nagasaki Prefecture. His parents, Kazuhisa and Shuko Uchimura, were both competitive gymnasts. At age 15, he moved to Tokyo to train with Athens gold medalist Naoya Tsukahara. His younger sister Haruhi Uchimura is also a gymnast. He stated, 'I don’t believe in God. I never had lucky charms. All I believe in is practice.' In his first international event, the 2005 International Junior Competition in Japan, he competed outside official competition.
Uchimura joined the Japanese national squad in 2007. He won the individual all-around silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, giving Japan its first Olympic medal in the event in 24 years. He then won the individual all-around gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and repeated as gold medalist in the individual all-around at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, also winning team gold in 2016. He won the Longines Prize for Elegance at the 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam.
Reader's Guide
Kōhei Uchimura's significance lies in his unprecedented dominance of the men's all-around competition across two full Olympic cycles. He was the first gymnast, male or female, to win every major all-around title in a single Olympic cycle, and he accomplished this feat twice. His career includes seven Olympic medals and 21 World medals, with victories in team, all-around, floor exercise, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. The International Gymnast Magazine praised his skills as a 'combination of tremendous difficulty, supreme consistency and extraordinary elegance of performance.' His ability to deliver difficult and accurately executed routines set a new standard in the sport. Uchimura's legacy is further marked by his Longines Prize for Elegance at the 2011 World Championships, reflecting his graceful style. He retired as one of the most decorated gymnasts in history, having inspired a generation with his relentless practice and competitive longevity.
Did You Know?
- Uchimura is the first gymnast (male or female) to capture every major all-around title in an entire single Olympic cycle, doing so twice.
- He won the individual all-around silver at the 2008 Olympics, Japan's first Olympic medal in that event in 24 years.
- At the 2011 World Championships, he won the Longines Prize for Elegance, which included a trophy, a Longines watch, and US$5,000.
- He began gymnastics at age 3 at his parents' sports club in Nagasaki Prefecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kōhei Uchimura?
Kōhei Uchimura is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast born on January 3, 1989, in Kitakyushu. He is widely regarded as the most dominant all-around gymnast in the sport's history, having swept every major all-around title in two separate Olympic cycles.
What is Kōhei Uchimura's signature achievement?
He became the first gymnast ever to capture every major all-around championship—Olympic, World, and Continental—within a single Olympic cycle, and he repeated the feat in the following cycle. That double sweep is what sets him apart from every other gymnast in the record books.
How many Olympic medals did Kōhei Uchimura earn?
Uchimura collected seven Olympic medals in total: three gold and four silver spread across team and individual all-around events. He also amassed 21 medals at World Championships over his career.
Where did Kōhei Uchimura grow up and train?
He began gymnastics at age three at his parents' sports club in Nagasaki Prefecture, with both parents being former competitive gymnasts themselves. At fifteen, he relocated to Tokyo to train under Olympic gold medalist Naoya Tsukahara.
Why do fans consider Kōhei Uchimura the GOAT of gymnastics?
His ability to dominate all-around competition across two full Olympic cycles, combined with 21 World medals, has no real parallel in the sport's history. Fans also admire his philosophy—he has publicly stated he relies solely on relentless practice rather than any luck or superstition.
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