After all, breaking China's 22-year-old stranglehold in men's gymnastics is exhausting business.
The collective strength of China meant that since 1994, Chinese men had won 10 of 12 world championship team titles and three of the five Olympic golds on offer.
When the Japanese quintet of Uchimura, Koji Yamamuro, Ryohei Kato Yusuke Tanaka and Kenzo Shirai ended their Asian rivals' eight-year reign as Olympic champions on Monday, it completed China's fall from grace.
Because for the first time since 1994, the country that produced Olympic all around champions of the calibre of Li Xiaoshuang (1996) and Yang Wei (2008) were left without a world or Olympic team title in their possession.
The process of knocking China off their lofty perch had begun at last October's world championships in Glasgow, when Uchimura and co earned Japan's first world team title in 37 years.
Winning that crown laid the foundations for Monday's triumph, which ensured that Japan will be the defending champions when the Olympic bandwagon rolls into Tokyo in 2020.
"It is part psychological but in order for us to get closer to gold, it was important to make a good impression to the judges in Glasgow," said Uchimura, who had made winning the team title his number one priority in Rio.
"By making a good impression, maybe we could earn some extra points. It is important to create a flow."
FLOWING ROUTINES
They did flow, often beautifully, in 17 of their 18 routines across six apparatus.
The only stumbling block was Yamamuro's pommel horse display, when he lost his grip and rolled off to earn a score of 13.900.
They were spectacular on the floor, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar, where every score breached the 15-point barrier.
China, in contrast, were languishing in fifth place with only two rotations remaining as a fall on the floor by Deng Shudi, was followed by You Hao stumbling off the crash mat completely when he over-rotated his dismount from the rings.
When Lin Chaopan landed on one knee following his vault, the country that had won seven out of the eight men's golds on offer at the 2008 Beijing Games were in danger of missing out on the medals completely.
In the end, China saved face by claiming the bronze behind a resurgent Russia, but as they slumped back into their chairs in the Rio Olympic Arena, they knew the class of 2016 will go down at the team that ended China's rule in gymnastics.
For Uchimura, who claimed the only gold missing from his overflowing collection of medals, it was mission accomplished.
"We came to Brazil to do what we are meant to do," said Uchimura, who will be bidding to become the first gymnast in over 40 years to win back-to-back all around golds on Wednesday.
"The next Olympics will be in Tokyo and I believe we can win again."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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