Japan finished seventh in the eight-nation women's team final at the artistic gymnastics world championships on Tuesday and missed a chance to clinch a spot in the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Japan's hope of winning its first medal in 56 years in the event was lost when the team made up of world championships debutants Shoko Miyata, Chiharu Yamada, Ayaka Sakaguchi, Kokoro Fukasawa and Hazuki Watanabe could not capitalize on the third place it held heading into the fourth and final apparatus.
As the final athlete to perform, team captain Fukasawa made several mistakes on the uneven bars — an apparatus on which she normally excels — to score 9.400 points as Japan logged 156.964 in total.
The United States scored 166.564 to take its record sixth straight world women's team title, followed by Britain on 163.363 and Canada with 160.563. The three nations booked their Paris Games spots.
"I'm really frustrated I couldn't fulfill my role," said Fukasawa, who could have handed her country the medal and an Olympic spot by scoring at least 13 points, a tally she managed during qualification.
Coach Hikaru Tanaka, nevertheless, was confident the team will bounce back from the setback.
"This has been an extremely significant experience and will help us secure an Olympic berth at a tournament next year," he said.