For Japanese athletes, the Tokyo Olympic Games held at home is a rare sports feast of a lifetime. In this article, we introduce to you the star athletes in the Japanese delegation that deserve attention.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is poised to take place, and the world's top athletes and most dazzling sports stars will become the focus of global attention during the 17-day schedule. Especially Japanese athletes, after 16 months full of challenges, carry the hope and inspiration of the whole country.
Among the many host athletes, which can be described as the elite of the elite, which can dominate the headlines?
Let's learn about it together through this article.
Rui Hachimura-Basketball
The second-year star Rui Hachimura, who played for the Washington Wizards of the NBA, and Yuta Watanabe, who played for the Toronto Raptors, led the Japanese men's basketball team on their first Olympic trip in 44 years. Today's Japanese men's basketball team is no longer comparable to the Japanese men's basketball team in the past, and Hachimura-the first NBA first-round show is the biggest reason.
Pay attention to Rui Hachimura:
- 7.26: Japan vs Spain
- 7.29: Japan vs Slovenia
- 8.1: Japan vs Argentina
Harimoto Tomokazu-Table Tennis
Son of the Chosen, a former ping-pong prodigy. The time has come for Harimoto Tomokazu to exchange his attention and expectations over the years into Olympic medals. Even Harimoto Tomokazu, who has a big heart, admits that the first Olympic game will make him nervous. He just turned 18 on June 27 this year and has experienced ups and downs in his career, and tension will not be a stumbling block on his way forward.
Follow Harimoto Tomokazu:
- 7.24-7. 30: Men's Singles
- 8.1-8. 6: Men's Team
Kanoa Igarashi
The new Olympic event poster boy Kanoa Igarashi is the highest-ranked Japanese player in the history of surfing. He has a handsome appearance, superb athletic skills, and countless endorsements. Now, adding an Olympic gold medal to many honors is what he looks forward to most. His name Kanoa means freedom in Hawaiian. See how he releases himself and hits the gold medal at the surfing venue of Chiba Tiogasaki Coast this summer.
Follow Kanoa Igarashi: 7.25-28
Ryo Kiyuna-Karate
Ryo Kiyuna is the winner of the three-time World Championships (individual competition) and achieved a record 9 consecutive national championships in Japan. Karate will complete the Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics. He is from Okinawa Prefecture, the birthplace of karate, and is one of the hottest players in the Japanese delegation. He hopes to win the Olympic gold medal in his country with a perfect score of 10.
Follow Ryo Kiyuna: 8.6, Karate-Shape Match
Takefusa Kubo-Football
From the Barcelona youth training system and now under Real Madrid, the Japanese football genius has the maturity that a 20-year-old player should have. Since the 10-year-old Takefusa Kubo joined the FC Barcelona, Japan’s hope of winning an Olympic medal after the 1968 Mexico Olympics fell on the left-footed player. Now, he has a moment to show his true value.
Follow Takefusa Kubo:
- 7.22: Japan vs South Africa
- 7.25: Japan vs Mexico
- 7.28: Japan vs France
Momota Kento-Badminton
In the five years since his absence from the 2016 Rio Olympics, Momota Kento has overcome many difficulties in securing his Tokyo 2020 badminton favorite, including a serious car accident in January last year. Momota Kento said that everything about him has changed, but his desire for the gold medal has not changed. Any result other than the championship at the Tokyo Olympics was disappointing to him.
Follow Momota Kento:
7.25- 8. 2: Men's Singles
Shohei Ono-Judo
Shohei Ono, recognized as the world's best judo player, is the 2016 Rio Olympic champion and three-time World Championship winner. But before the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he did not participate in any competition in 2021. But this will not affect his level of attention. When he stood in the stadium of the Nippon Budokan, his attention was no less than that of the Beatles who had performed concerts there.
Pay attention to Shohei Ono: 7.26, 73 kg
Uchimura Kohei-Competitive Gymnastics
Uchimura Kohei, who has participated in the three Olympic Games, left a glorious moment in the individual all-around gymnastics arena of the Olympic Games. At the age of 32 this year, he is about to become the second gymnast in Japan's Olympic history to compete in the four Olympic Games, and he is still looking forward to achieving satisfactory results at home. What new heights can Uchimura, who specializes in horizontal bars at the Tokyo Olympics, take this project? We will wait and see.
Pay attention to Uchimura Kohei: 8.3 horizontal bar
Baseball
Japan's desire for baseball to return to the Olympics is so strong that other countries cannot match it. Atsuki Inaba's players will strive to win Japan's first gold medal since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Once the traditionally strong teams Cuba and Australia are not among the participating teams, this may be the best opportunity for the Japanese baseball team.
Follow the Japanese baseball team:
- 7.28: Japan vs Dominica
- 7.31: Japan vs Mexico
Men's 4x100m Team Relay-Track and Field
After the 2016 Rio Olympics lost to Jamaica and won the silver medal, the Japan Athletics Association began to focus on the goal of reaching the highest podium in the Tokyo Olympics in the post-Bolt era. The four members of the 4x100m relay team in Japan have all exceeded the 10-second mark, and the final on August 6 will surely win the all-around Japanese.
Follow the Japanese Relay Team: August 5th-Preliminaries
