Twelve years have passed since Japanese gymnasts won a medal at an Olympics, 20 years since they claimed gold and 28 years since they last triumphed in a team competition at the quadrennial event.
Takehiro Kashima, the world champion in the pommel horse and horizontal bar, is hoping
to spark a revival in gymnastics for former powerhouse Japan.
At the upcoming Olympic Games in Athens, Japan wants to end the medal drought and launch a return to glory days of Japanese gymnastics when the men's squad won five straight Olympic gold medals between 1960 and 1976.
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