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Competitions at the Paris Olympics are in full swing, and Japanese athletes are enjoying a medal bonanza from the early stage. The key words to describe their strength may be “major comebacks” and “teamwork.”
In the men’s artistic gymnastics team final, when Japan went into the last event, the horizontal bar, China led Japan by a large margin and it appeared that Japan would have to settle for second place. However, the second Chinese gymnast fell off the bar twice while attempting release and catch maneuvers, and the fate of the title was left in the hands of Japan’s ace gymnast Daiki Hashimoto, who was to compete last.
Hashimoto was a gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, but at the Paris Games, he fell down when dismounting from the horizontal bar in the qualification round, and also fell during his pommel horse performance in the final round. The shouts of team leader Kazuma Kaya — “Don’t give up!” — echoed many times at the competition venue.
Hashimoto succeeded in dynamic release and catch maneuvers and landed in an almost flawless manner. When Japan’s victory was decided, the five team members formed a circle and hugged each other, with Kaya in tears.
The first gold medal since 2016 showed once again the strength of Japan’s artistic gymnastics. Hashimoto said, “Thanks to the four others on the team, I was able to give my best performance.” This is the first Olympics since Kohei Uchimura, an absolute champion, retired. The victory in the Paris Games can be said to be a victory earned by the power of the team.
The men’s street skateboarding also had a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
Tokyo Games gold medalist Yuto Horigome failed to land three times in the final phases of the final round, and he fell to seventh place overall before the final attempt. He thought to himself: “Whether I laugh or cry, this is my last run. I won’t have any regrets.” He attempted a tough trick that he had only pulled off once in official competition, and won his second consecutive gold medal.
Horigome had struggled in the Olympics selection competitions, and at one time his participation in the Paris Olympics was in jeopardy. He recalled: “It was hell. No matter what I did, nothing went right.” The fact that he was able to break out of his difficult situation and show his strength in the last minute must have been due to the rigorous training he underwent.
In judo, Natsumi Tsunoda won her first gold medal in the women’s 48-kilogram division, and Hifumi Abe won the men’s 66-kilogram division for the second Games in a row, following the Tokyo Games.
Tsunoda had aimed to qualify for the Tokyo Games in the 52-kilogram division, but was blocked by Abe’s younger sister Uta, and changed her weight class. This time, Uta was defeated in the second round in the 52-kilogram division, and Hifumi roused himself with the determination to “do my best for my sister, too.”
Hopefully Uta, who broke down in tears after she lost, will come back from this defeat and deliver a sequel to their sibling success story.
Japanese athletes’ noticeable performances can also be seen in competitions with history, as Japan’s equestrian team grabbed the bronze medal — the country’s first equestrian medal in 92 years.
The athletes’ efforts to overcome difficulties and their mental strength to never give up even when they fail are greatly inspiring and convey to the spectators what is important to Japan today.
