Tears and gratitude (nd actual)

Really, ”says Naohisa Takato, sobbing and needs a moment before he can continue. “This result was only possible because everyone gave me so much support.” The gold medal in the weight class up to 60 kilograms gives the judoka the emotional rest. When he gasps for breath again, he says: “It comes from inside me. That you have supported me so far: Thank you very much! Now, as a gold medalist, I want to work even more on myself. Thank you! «These were emotional moments of Japanese triumph, of which there are some these days. Not only because Japan has meanwhile won 17 gold medals and is thus right at the top of the medal table. But also because the successful athletes keep showing great emotions immediately after their competitions. Crying with happiness is part of the standard program these days for the athletes from the host country.

For example, the swimmer Yui Ohashi said after her victory in the 400 meter individual medal when she was asked about her tears: “I didn’t think I could win a gold medal. So much has happened on the way here. And I’m so grateful that I was able to perform here. “Taeko Utsugi, trainer of the Japanese softball players, whose team won gold on Tuesday, said something similar:” Yes, we were really allowed to think only about ourselves. And if that hadn’t been possible, we wouldn’t have been able to win either. I’m just grateful. “

The many tears and thanks are not uncommon in Japan’s sporting public. Every now and then, athletes break down emotionally after important victories or defeats in front of the camera. The national soccer player Maya Yoshida cried like this after Japan’s unhappy elimination at the 2018 World Cup. And that wasn’t really a sensation either. Rather, it only reveals that the athletes are wholeheartedly involved. This time, however, the feelings that express something like that are particularly important. After all, the Japanese public remains skeptical about the Summer Olympics. A recent poll by the Kyodo news agency found that 71 percent were looking forward to seeing the athletes in action. At the same time, 87 percent fear that the Olympics will also spread the corona virus.

By taking part in these Olympic Games and not attracting loud opposition in the run-up to the world’s largest sporting event, the Japanese public could see them as accomplices of the unloved organizers. By showing vulnerability, however, another impression comes to the fore, one that is often mentioned in Tokyo city talks these days: “These athletes have been training for this dream for years, and now the time has come.” The skepticism is not forgotten either . If you talk to people in a bar in the evening or in a café during the day, you can often hear something like: »I was against the games because of the pandemic. But now that they’re running, I’m happy too. ”And the addition that is now often used:“ And our athletes are really strong too. ”In very patriotic Japan, it makes many people happy to see how the athletes feel and athletes from their country assert themselves in international comparisons.

The East Asian country set its historical record of 16 gold medals – achieved in Tokyo in 1964 and again in Athens in 2004 – before this weekend. On Friday, judoka Akira Sona won the 16th gold in the women’s heavyweight division. Then the Japanese men’s sword team set a new record with a final victory and 17th gold medal. And the public is well informed about it. The opening ceremony last Friday already achieved a historically high audience rate of 56 percent. Since the Games began, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK has been reporting on multiple channels whenever there is competition anywhere.

You can not only rely on the overwhelming cheer during the live broadcasts. The five largest media companies in Japan are among the official sponsors of “Tokyo 2020.” And NHK has moved closer to the government in its stance over the past few years.