<p><b>&#8220;From July 27, the &#8216;Paris Olympics&#8217; will kick off. Following the Tokyo Olympics, where Japan shone with a record 58 medals, this year&#8217;s games are also packed with events where medals are highly anticipated. We have conducted thorough interviews with legends to highlight the key points of the noteworthy events. Let&#8217;s revel in the medal rush of Japanese athletes!”</b></p>
<figure id="attachment_383644" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2462px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383644"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="91d100f8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/d4fa164dbf1bb85a045fa6beb14d0352.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383644" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hayata, who is currently ranked 5th in the latest world rankings, the highest among Japanese players, will challenge for a medal using her strong forehand as her weapon.</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><b>Hina Hayata (24)</b></p>
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<p><b>Mixed Doubles Final: July 30 at 21:30 (NHK General → NHK ETV)  </b></p>
<p><b>Women&#8217;s Singles Final: August 3 at 21:30 (TBS Network)  </b></p>
<p><b>Women&#8217;s Team Final: August 10 at 22:00 (Nippon TV Network)</b></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a reserve for the Tokyo Olympics, Hayata cheered so fervently from the empty stands that she lost her voice. This time, she steps onto the grand stage as a recognized ace. Former Japan national team member and commentator Hiroko Fujii has high expectations, stating, &#8220;She can aim for medals in all three events she&#8217;s participating in.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p><b>&#8220;In the past two to three years, her greatest improvement has been in her ability to observe and adapt her tactics depending on her opponent. She possesses a powerful forehand drive, but now she&#8217;s also able to attack with her backhand, rally defensively, and outsmart her opponents. Her repertoire has greatly expanded. I hope she aims for gold in the mixed doubles, which she&#8217;s won four consecutive times, and uses that momentum to reach the finals in both the women&#8217;s team and singles events.&#8221;</b></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The rapidly growing absolute queen of Japanese table tennis will prove her prowess in Paris. </span></p>
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<h2><b>Tomokazu Harimoto (21)</b></h2>
<p><b>Mixed Doubles Semifinal: July 29 at 22:50 (TV Asahi Network)  </b><b><br>
</b><b>Final: July 30 at 21:30 (NHK General → NHK ETV)  </b><b><br>
</b><b>Men&#8217;s Singles Semifinal: August 2 at 18:00 (TV Tokyo Network)  </b><b><br>
</b><b>Final: August 4 at 21:30 (NHK ETV → NHK General)  </b><b><br>
</b><b>Men&#8217;s Team Semifinal: August 8 at 2:30 (Nippon TV Network)  </b><b><br>
</b><b>Final: August 9 at 20:00 (TBD)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tomokazu Harimoto contributed to a bronze medal in the team event at the Tokyo Olympics. In Paris, he will achieve a historic milestone by competing alongside his sister Miwa, marking the first sibling participation in Olympic table tennis history. Kenta Matsudaira, who has faced Harimoto many times, asserts that both Harimoto&#8217;s technique and mindset are on the rise, giving him a strong endorsement for success in Paris.</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;At the top level, it&#8217;s a given that players can attack. The difference comes down to defensive skills, and Harimoto excels in this area. Known for his strong backhand, he has recently strengthened his forehand, which has contributed to his scoring. Winning the men&#8217;s singles at the All Japan Championships in January, his first victory in six years, appears to have boosted his confidence significantly. He is in excellent shape both technically and mentally</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the Tokyo Olympics, Harimoto was eliminated in the fourth round of the singles event. However, it was his debut. In Paris, we hope to see him demonstrate his growth and seek redemption.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383651" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383651"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="14858250"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/8dd86592a403d52f06359cbd4d4d5047.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383651" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite being ranked 9th in the world, Harimoto has been improving his form, achieving impressive results in recent international competitions.</span></figcaption></figure>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Hirano &amp; Supernova Zhangmoto playing their first singles match"></div>
<h2><b>Miu Hirano (24)</b></h2>
<p><b>Women&#8217;s Singles Semifinal: August 2 at 16:45 (TV Tokyo Network)  </b><b><br>
</b><b>Final: August 3 at 21:30 (TBS Network)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In her second Olympics in Paris, Miu Hirano has secured her long-awaited spot in the singles event. Her greatest asset is her unparalleled speed.</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;Her hitting point and the speed of her shots are incredibly fast. With this overwhelming weapon, she even defeated the world No. 1, Sun Yingsha (23), last year.&#8221; (says Fujii)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &#8220;China player killer&#8221; is now aiming to capture her long-desired medal.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383636" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2009px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383636"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="328e78fa"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/f9040413077e8e9bd54011d61223e95e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383636" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hirano&#8217;s weapon is her fast-paced attack known as the &#8220;Miu Punch,&#8221; which comes from a quick touch. Can she cause an upset in her debut singles appearance? </span></figcaption></figure>
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<h2><b>Miwa Harimoto (16)</b></h2>
<p><b>Women&#8217;s Team Semifinal: August 8 at 22:00 (Fuji TV Network)  </b><b><br>
</b><b>Final: August 10 at 22:00 (Nippon TV Network)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fujii explains Tomokazu Harimoto&#8217;s strength, as demonstrated by his rise from 15th to 7th in the world rankings in the first half of this year:</span></p>
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<p><b>&#8220;Simply put, he has no weaknesses. His forehand and backhand drives are both consistently high-level. Opponents will struggle with their tactics, unsure of where to attack.&#8221;</b></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new star is set to shine brightly in his first Olympics!</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383640" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1992px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383640"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e95b2446"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/4152f00f15c2562e24c15ef3d2b5115c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383640" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the first half of this year alone, Tomokazu Harimoto has surged up the world rankings to 7th place. With this momentum, he aims to achieve a remarkable feat in his first Olympics. </span></figcaption></figure>
<p>From the August 9, 2024 issue of FRIDAY</p>
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 Afro Kyodo News, Asahi Shimbun, Getty Images, Sankei Shimbun, Jiji Press, Fortximoto, Sachiko Yasutaka, Yuji Yanagawa, Koji Watanabe

 The Paris Olympics will start on July 27th! Legends of swimming, track and field, judo, table tennis, volleyball, and other sports give in-depth commentary on the highlights of each sport! Table tennis player Hayata is expected to "aim for medals in all three events. An expert commentates!

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