Japan's artistic gymnastics men's team, rleft to right, Daiki Hashimoto, Kazuma Kaya, second right, Takeru Kitazono and Wataru Tanigawa celebrate after winning the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 26, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Defending champion Japan took silver in men's team gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, finishing just 0.103 point behind the Russian Olympic Committee team.

       Japan's team of Daiki Hashimoto, Kazuma Kaya, Takeru Kitazono and Wataru Tanigawa earned a six-apparatus total of 262.397 points at Ariake Gymnastics Centre to finish on the podium for the fifth straight Olympics.

       Russian gymnasts won the event for the first time in six Olympics, while China scored 261.894 to take the bronze in the eight-team final.

       "I feel like I am still in a dream. I am really enjoying it, and I don't want this to end," Kaya said after the victory ceremony. "Of course, there is disappointment, but I think we were able as a team to do as well as we possibly could."

       Japan trailed the Russians and the Chinese after the fifth apparatus rotation, but the team of four Olympic debutants moved one spot up the rankings with solid performances in the horizontal bar by Kaya and Kitazono, before Hashimoto nailed a flawless routine.

       Hashimoto, the reigning national champion, earned the highest score of all competing gymnasts in the horizontal bar, putting Japan in reach for the gold medal, but Russian Nikita Nagornyy extended the lead with a solid routine on the floor.

       "I was the last one performing for Japan, and (my teammates) performed without making mistakes. So I was only thinking about putting out a flawless routine, no matter what color medal we got," the 19-year-old Hashimoto said.

       "I think 0.1 point is a big difference," he said, adding that his eyes are already set on 2024 Olympics in Paris.

       The Russian gymnasts, competing under a neutral flag, lead throughout the event held without general spectators.

       In the parallel bars, Japan's fifth and penultimate apparatus, Kaya, a reserve member at the Rio Games, executed a clean routine, his dynamic performance allowing the host country's team to close on China.

       Kitazono, an 18-year-old five-time gold medalist at the 2018 Youth Olympics, also pulled off an error-free routine and pumped his fist following his clean landing.

       He sustained an elbow fracture and ligament injury after a fall from the horizontal bar at April's national championships, but qualified for the Olympics last month.

       At the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Kohei Uchimura, a two-time individual all-around gold medalist, led the team to the top of the podium for the first time since the 2004 Games.

       Uchimura, 32, qualified for the Tokyo Games as a horizontal bar specialist, but slipped during Saturday's qualification and did not advance to the finals.

       Japan's women, led by Mai Murakami, have qualified for Tuesday's eight-team women's final.

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