Kohei Uchimura, Japan's three-time gold medal-winning gymnast, failed to advance past his first appearance at the Tokyo Summer Olympics on Saturday. He slipped and fell from the horizontal bar.

What happened?

Uchimura, 32, picked himself up and completed his routine, but the mistake marred his final score. He appeared to trip up as he spun around the bar, faster and faster, crisscrossing his hands to maintain control until he lost his grip.

Why it matters for Kohei Uchimura

The Tokyo Games were to have been a comeback of sorts for Uchimura, who is one of Japan's most decorated gymnasts ever and the back-to-back all-around gold medalist in 2012 and 2016. Since then, however, he has struggled with injury and opted to focus on the horizontal bar.

Uchimura praised the work of his teammates after his fall. He said they competed well in the Olympic Games for the first time.

What comes next?

As for his own future, Uchimura said nothing was set. He will think about it when he goes back to the accommodation. But he has experienced the bottom of his career when he wasn't doing well, so he is not as disappointed as he expected.

Kohei Uchimura told reporters he couldn't perform what he had practiced. That's how he simply felt, audibly disappointed. He said it has been tough to get selected as a national team member, and that itself was already really tough.

All Uchimura can think of are negative thoughts right now, but what's done is done. He can't do anymore, so right now he's starting to accept it. The fall was a stunning error for Japan's king of gymnastics.

Uchimura's teammates competed well, sorting out their problems on their own. He felt he wasn't needed anymore after he finished the horizontal bar and came back to the arena to watch.

The Tokyo Olympics will continue without Kohei Uchimura, who failed to qualify after his fall on Saturday. He ended his Olympic journey, but his legacy as one of Japan's most decorated gymnasts will remain.

Kohei Uchimura's future is uncertain, but he will think about it when he goes back to the accommodation. For now, he is starting to accept his defeat and move on from the stunning error that ended his Olympic journey.