<p><b>“The Paris Olympics, which began on July 27, follow the Tokyo Olympics that saw a record 58 medals. This year, many events are expected to bring in more medals. We thoroughly interviewed legends about the highlights of the key events. Let’s immerse ourselves in the medal rush of the Rising Sun athletes!”</b></p>
<figure id="attachment_383634" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1294px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383634"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="dbaf3b70"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/41ff05d7c8c9582ddd9db42b8d4c8b53.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383634" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The hopeful star who broke Mizuki Noguchi&#8217;s Japanese record for the first time in 19 years.</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2><b>Honami Maeda (28) [Marathon]</b></h2>
<p><b>Final: August 11, 14:50 (NHK General)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finishing the Osaka International Women&#8217;s Marathon in January this year with a time of 2:18:59, she broke Mizuki Noguchi&#8217;s (46) Japanese record for the first time in 19 years. This promising star is now taking on the challenging ups and downs of the Paris course. We hope for an upset in this tough race.</span></p>
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<h2><b>Moe Higa (16) &amp; Mashiro Yasunaga (25) [Artistic Swimming]</b></h2>
<p><b>Duet Technical Routine: August 10, 2:30 (TBD) </b><b><br>
</b><b>Duet Free Routine: August 11, 2:30 (TBD)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They pulled off a dramatic turnaround last year at the World Swimming Championships, going from last in the preliminaries to first. It was Japan&#8217;s first gold medal in the duet event at a world competition in 22 years. We look forward to their synchronized performance in Paris.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383625" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1222px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383625"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="05e2bdcd"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/a2e8c41f9fd34d85439e211dbc6fb2a0.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383625" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Higa (top right) performing the acrobatic move of lifting Yasunaga out of the water is the highlight of their routine. We look forward to Japan&#8217;s first gold medal in this event.</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2><b>Shigeyuki Nakarai</b><b> Shigekix (22) [Breaking]</b></h2>
<p><b>Final: August 11, 3:00 (Fuji TV Network)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He started the sport at age seven due to his sister&#8217;s influence and has earned medals at two consecutive World Championships in 2022 and 2023. Known for his precision in the challenging move &#8220;Freeze,&#8221; where he maintains difficult positions like handstands, he aims to impress on the big stage and secure a medal.</span></p>
<h2><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cf333c16"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/c9dd3624305a73d8197d27d6abd0fdd2.jpg" alt=""></a></h2>
<figure id="attachment_383653" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1639px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383653"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383653" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Using his signature move &#8220;Freeze&#8221; as his weapon, he aims to win a medal.</span></figcaption></figure>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Skateboarder Sorara Shirai, who is eager to compete."></div>
<h2><b>Sora Shirai (22) [Skateboarding]</b></h2>
<p><b>Men&#8217;s Park Final: August 8, 0:30 (TBS Network)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With Shirai, KairiNetsuke (20), and Yuto Horigome (25) dominating the podium at this year&#8217;s World Championships, skateboarding is becoming a Japanese specialty. Despite being ranked 3rd in the world and falling short in the Tokyo Olympics, he is fueled by his experiences and determination to excel.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383639" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1281px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383639"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b2ee3c70"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/6c681c763a0ab27fbafb7645f86ffdf1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383639" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">He experienced falling short in the qualifiers at the Tokyo Olympics. Using that frustration as motivation, he is driven to succeed.</span></figcaption></figure>
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<h2><b>Misaki Uchida (26) [Modern Pentathlon]</b></h2>
<p><b>Women&#8217;s Fencing Ranking Round (Day 1): August 8, 21:30 (TBD)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Making her debut, Uchida will aim for high scores in fencing, laser-run (shooting + running), and her strong swimming. Last year at the Asian Games, she achieved the highest-ever ranking for a Japanese competitor, finishing 4th. As equestrian events will be removed from the pentathlon in the next Olympics, her equestrian skills will also be a focus.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383631" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1258px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383631"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c53a9a71"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/a5ac0bdf53c6d4f90d14a9371afd9d86.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383631" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Uchida, making her Olympic debut in modern pentathlon, will focus on her strengths in swimming, fencing, and laser run (shooting + running) to achieve high scores.</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2><b>Kana Urata (25) [Hockey]</b></h2>
<p><b>Preliminary Round 3: August 1, 0:00 (TBD)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Known for stamina and defensive skills, &#8220;Sakura Japan&#8221; excels in counter-attacks. Urata plays a key role as a fullback, cutting off opponent&#8217;s balls and creating opportunities for attack with powerful swings. She is a crucial yet often unseen player in the team’s success.</span></p>
<h2><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5ebc9e97"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/cf2343aae1c7eebef47fafd0c9c249ae.jpg" alt=""></a></h2>
<figure id="attachment_383633" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1771px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383633"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383633" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kana Urata of the Japanese women&#8217;s hockey team &#8220;Sakura Japan,&#8221; a key yet often unseen fullback.</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, Shigeru Watanabe

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