The Japan Gymnastics Association on Tuesday revealed Kohei Uchimura injured his right ankle during a recent practice for the upcoming world championships in Qatar.
Uchimura, a six-time world all-around champion, injured ligaments in the ankle while landing a vault at the National Training Center on Sept. 25.
The 29-year-old, who suffered a similar injury to his left ankle at last year's worlds, is still planning to compete at the world championships in Doha from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3.
"It's not as bad as last year, so I'm still hopeful," said Uchimura, the two-time defending Olympic all-around champ. "It's too early to rule myself out of all six apparatuses. I want to go to Doha to compete."
In April, Uchimura was unsuccessful in his bid to win an 11th straight national championship, finishing third behind teenager Kakeru Tanigawa and Kenzo Shirai.