<p><b>&#8220;The Paris Olympics kicked off on July 27. Following the Tokyo Olympics, which saw a record 58 medals, this tournament also features a lineup of events where medals are highly anticipated. We conducted thorough interviews with legends about the highlights of the notable events. Let&#8217;s revel in the medal rush of the Japanese athletes!&#8221;</b></p>
<figure id="attachment_383642" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1582px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383642"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="eb70e862"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/53020ef82066a7f5d490c8f59f2b6a70.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383642" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hachimura, belonging to the prestigious NBA Lakers. Can he deliver his best performance?</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2><b>Rui Hachimura (26) [Basketball]</b></h2>
<p><b>Preliminary Round, Game 2 &#8211; July 31, 0:05 AM &#8211; 2:00 AM (NHK General)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the first time in 48 years, the men’s basketball team secured their Olympic spot on their own merits. In the crucial match, Hachimura from the prestigious NBA Lakers, who was absent during the preliminaries, will join. If he can deliver the performance he declared, &#8220;I want to show the experience I gained in the United States to my teammates and everyone in Japan,&#8221; the nation will be swept up in a wave of excitement surpassing the World Cup, where they recorded three wins and achieved the top spot in Asia.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
<h2><b>Daiki Hashimoto (22) [Gymnastics]</b></h2>
<p><b>Individual All-Around Final &#8211; August 1, 0:30 AM (Nippon TV Network)</b><b><br>
</b><b>Event Final: Horizontal Bar &#8211; August 5, 8:33 PM (NHK General → E-Tele)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the Tokyo Olympics, where he competed at 19, he became the youngest individual all-around champion in history and achieved a double crown by winning gold in the horizontal bar event. The defending champion, hailed as a prodigy, confessed his mixed feelings, saying, &#8220;Whatever I do, it’s always written as ‘since Kohei Uchimura.’&#8221; Despite the pressure and injuries, he has returned to the big stage. At the Paris Olympics, he aims for a triple crown in the team all-around, individual all-around, and horizontal bar, something even Uchimura could not achieve.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383635" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1879px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383635"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="07669450"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/8c534fc85d7a74be40402768ada80659.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383635" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Competed in the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 19. Aiming for a triple crown in the team all-around, individual all-around, and horizontal bar, something even Kohei Uchimura did not achieve.</span></figcaption></figure>
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<h2><b>Hikaru Mori (25) [Trampoline]</b></h2>
<p><b>Preliminaries &#8211; August 2, 7:00 PM (TBD)</b><b><br>
</b><b>Finals &#8211; August 2, 8:50 PM (TBD)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She effortlessly showcases high jumps and stable, high-difficulty techniques, returning for her second dream stage. Due to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, she struggled with her preparations and even considered retiring at one point. However, shortly after the announcement of the representatives, she said, &#8220;I want to do my best without overdoing it,&#8221; and flashed a cheerful smile to the audience.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383648" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1294px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383648"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="0613c1bb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/25a187c95c6677c6d5a8b0b92080a364.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383648" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At one point, Mori considered retiring. Now, she is heading to her second dream stage.</span></figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Badminton within medal range"></div>
<h2><b>Chiharu Shida (27, left) and Nami Matsuyama (26) [Badminton]</b></h2>
<p><b>Women&#8217;s Doubles Semifinal &#8211; August 2, 3:30 PM (TBD)</b><b><br>
</b><b>                                Final &#8211; August 3, 10:00 PM (TBD)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beyond their resemblance to the famed duo &#8220;Ogushio,&#8221; they are ranked 4th in the world, putting a medal within reach. Their powerful smashes and the combination skills they&#8217;ve honed since high school are their greatest strengths. Will they achieve a remarkable feat in their first Olympic appearance?</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383632" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1279px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383632"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="1b8bb0f5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/2d2c4deaa2f00ebf70cf761f7df974ba.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383632" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shida (left) and Matsuyama, making their debut appearance. Their combination skills, honed since high school, are their greatest weapon.</span></figcaption></figure>
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<h2><b>Joel Chima Fujita (22) [Soccer]</b></h2>
<p><b>Group Stage, Match 3 &#8211; July 31, 3:35 AM &#8211; 6:00 AM (Nippon TV Network)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having won the U23 Asian Cup this spring and drawing against favorites France in a July friendly, the team is highly refined. Although they couldn’t call up any over-age players, they hope to create opportunities with aggressive defense, led by captain Chima.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_383637" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1214px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383637"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="3c7c7637"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/14e85258dd30a2adce73dea210f6771d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383637" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Captain Chima. The team is highly refined, but can they create opportunities from their defense?</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

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