Japan’s National Olympic Team Disbands at Ceremony; Members Praise Audience, Fellow Athletes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:11 JST, August 14, 2024

Japan’s national team for the Paris Olympic Games disbanded at a ceremony in Tokyo on Wednesday. During the Games, Japanese athletes won 45 medals, a record for a summer Olympic Games outside Japan.

A press conference before the ceremony was attended by 65 medalists and others.

“I think our national team boosted Japan’s spirits and encouraged people across the country,” said judoka Hifumi Abe, 27, who held onto the gold medal in men’s judo in the 66-kilogram class, at the press conference. “I’m going to work hard to win the title a third consecutive time.”

“The audiences who packed the venues, and their ear-splitting cheers, brought back the excitement of the Games,” said Mitsugi Ogata, 65, the head of the team. He went on to praise the athletes by saying, “The way they approached their sports and their respect for their opponents made them admirable athletes.”