The Japanese Olympic Committee revealed on Monday the names of the two flag bearers of its delegation. Basketball player Rui Hachimura and double world champion wrestler Yui Susaki will lead the way during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, scheduled for July 23.
End of the suspense for Japan. This Monday morning, the country’s Olympic committee unveiled the names of its flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games, scheduled for July 23. Basketball player Rui Hachimura and double world champion wrestler Yui Susaki are the lucky winners of this selection.
“It’s a great honor”, said in a statement Rui Hachimura, 23, born to a Japanese mother and a Beninese father. His choice as standard bearer has a strong symbolic value. In May, the Washington Wizards winger had indeed called for awareness of the problem of racism in Japan, confident that he himself had received messages of insults. “almost every day” on social networks.
For now, details of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games are still being kept confidential. In a context of a pandemic, the latter promises to be more sober than the disproportionate shows of the previous Olympics. The number of spectators allowed to attend has not yet been fixed but could be very limited.
On the French side, the names of the flag bearers who will lead the delegation of 378 athletes will also be revealed this Monday, in the evening. First historical, it will be, as for Japan, a man and a woman. A parity recommended by the International Olympic Committee.
Twelve athletes were candidates in mid-April but rider Astier Nicolas has since withdrawn from the race, the injury of his horse depriving him of the Olympics. For men, swimmer Florent Manaudou and pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie are legitimate candidates. The outsiders are gymnast Samir Ait-Saïd and Maxime Beaumont, canoe specialist.
For women, judokate Clarisse Agbegnenou, who is running for an Olympic title in Tokyo, competes for the star with a discreet athletics star, and mother of two children, Mélina Robert-Michon (vice-Olympic disc champion in Rio) who will participate in its sixth Games.
.
