The quadrennial Olympics is one of the most important events in most sports. Now, only three years after the Tokyo Olympics 2020 (as it was actually held in 2021), the Paris Olympics are just around the corner.
In recent years, Asian athletes have made remarkable achievements, even in events where Western and African countries have traditionally dominated. In this article, we look at Japanese athletes who are expected to win a medal in Paris this summer.
Tomokazu Harimoto / Table Tennis
While the world of table tennis has been dominated by China, Japan’s neighbor, it is also a popular sport in Japan amongst many people from young to old. There are even manga about table tennis. We can say that table tennis is a part of their culture. So whenever an elite player appears, they often attract the attention of the Japanese media.
Tomokazu Harimoto, 21, was born in Sendai to Chinese parents who were former table tennis players. So far he has achieved top finishes in a number of tournaments in both singles and doubles and won a bronze medal in the men’s team competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Harimoto is currently ranked 9th in the ITTF World Ranking and is to compete in the singles, mixed doubles, and team events in Paris.
Volleyball (Men and women)
Japanese volleyball once flourished in the 60s when Japan won the gold for women and bronze for men in the first Olympics held in Tokyo in 1964. After that, Japan struggled through a long period of slump, but this time for Paris, both the men’s and women’s teams were named strong medal contenders. There are many Japanese bookmakers who provide odds for the Olympics. As of now, Japan has the 7th lowest odds for men’s winner and 8th lowest for women’s.
The men’s team has rapidly gained strength under a French coach Philippe Blain since 2021, finishing second both in the 2023 World Cup and the World Nations League held in May-June 2024.
The women’s team also had a brief slump, but finished third in the 2023 World Cup and second in the Nations League this year, with Koga leading the team as a captain.
Kota Naraoka / Badminton
Hailing from Aomori in northern Japan, Naraoka is one of the players who have rapidly emerged on the international stage in recent years. He was runner-up at the 2023 World Championships in Copenhagen and was named one of the favorites to win the Paris Olympics.
In November of 2023, he won his first BWF World Tour title at the China Masters, defeating another Japanese, Kenta Nishimoto in the final.
Haika Kitaguchi / Javelin Throw
Track and field has not been very easy for many Asian female athletes. Except for a string of medals in the women’s marathon in the 1990s and 2000s, Japan won only one medal in women’s Olympic track and field in the 800m by Kinue Hitomi in 1928.
Haika Kitaguchi won Japan’s first gold medal in the women’s javelin at the 2023 World Championships in Athletics and is now recognized as the most likely candidate for gold in this event at the Olympics. If the 26-year-old succeeds in snatching a medal in Paris, it would be truly a historic victory for Japan.
Uta Abe/Judo
Judo is one of Japan’s traditional martial arts, and it is not surprising that there were many Japanese medalists in the previous Olympics. However, the internationalization of the sport has been progressing for some time now, which made it very difficult for the Japanese to win a medal.
On the other hand, winning this event would give athletes a greater honor in the country than winning any other event. Uta Abe won the 52kg event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and of course, she has another medal in her scope this year. His brother Hifumi also won the men’s 66kg at Tokyo and is targeting another win in Paris together as siblings.
Yuto Horigome / Skateboarding
Last but not least, Yuto Horigome is a strong defender of the gold medal in skateboarding from the previous Olympics. Skateboarding was added to the Olympics only in Tokyo 2020, where we saw three athletes winning gold medals in their home country. One of them is Horigome, the first gold medalist in men’s street.
The LA-based skateboarder has flourished his talent since his early teens and has won numerous competitions. In this year’s Olympics, he shocked us with struggles in a series of qualifying rounds but pulled off a big surprise by winning the final chance of Olympic qualifying in June. He had already joined Japan’s national team training in Paris before the start of the Olympics, and expectations were high for his second Olympic gold medal.