Japan hails Olympic medal haul

The Japanese Olympic Committee had been gunning for 15 golds, hoping that could invigorate its bid to host the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Maybe they should have started training themselves.

Although the number of gold medals fell short of the nine won in Beijing

And the sixteen won in Athens, when their total medal count was the previous record of 37.

Some of the gold medals came as no surprise.

I'll tell you a silver that was a shock (and only realised after JOC protesting): the men's team silver in gymnastics. Slipping off or missing the bars completely, landing poorly, mistake after mistake, and then Uchimura's absolute mess of a final dismount. The look on the faces of the Japanese team in the photo background was all you needed to know.

The JOC should be awarded a gold post-haste for their never give-up attitude in refusing to accept the decisions of judges.

My take is that the general view of the people here is very positive towards the overall achievement. Nowadays I don't think they are so overly attached to winning gold as compared to before and are happy to have won so many medals including areas they have never won before or haven't won for decades (e.g. volleyball, table tennis, boxing, swimming relay, just to name a few). Believe this is a positive sign that Japan has passed the period of being keen to prove itself to the world and overly hung up on national rivalries and dominance. The athletes representing Japan seemed all very good natured and very sportsmanlike regardless of outcome and were very refreshing to watch. The general reaction by the athletes as well as the everyday people during and after that controvercial soccer game with Korea even exhibited overall maturity on the part of Japan in my view. All in all they all gave their best, thus no regrets regardless of outcome, and they are actually bringing the most number of medals ever back to Japan.

unfortunately in most cases nobody remembers who got silver or bronze (except the people who won them) gold is the only true olympic glory worth remembering.

“Although the number of gold medals fell short of the nine won in Beijing, many of the silver and bronze medals have greatly moved people who watched how they were won,” it said.

What an amazing rationalization of basically being an also ran. Does this mean that when the head of Japan's Olympic Committee said a few years ago that one gold is worth more than two silvers -- to rationalize Japan's poor performance at a Winter Games -- he was wrong? Can't have it both ways. Japan appears to be fading as both a sports power as well as an economic one. And statements like

Japanese Olympians “may have taken to heart the power and role of sport more than ever”, it added.

just reinforce that. If you don't meet the hoped-for results, take the focus off that and try to focus attention on the supposed "gambatte" spirit that pushed the athletes.

no need to hate 7 Gold medals is a god achievement - It all depends on how much money your spend and how big your population is after all...

Countries that continue to amaze: Jamaica (4 golds) NZ (6 Golds) even Oz with 7 golds (though they always want more) - are great examples.

The absolute standout was the 4 countries that comprise the UK - it's a given that huge forward planning and massive amounts of money were spent to get their unusually large returns - but well done anyway. I thought this Olympics was pretty good to watch (what little I did). No one could top Beijing's opening ceremony and it was good to see the UK not even try and in doing so they gave the whole games a nice British feel.

Did think some of the local athletes benefited from the officials though... a little.

So they didn't reach their goal but we are all atill thrilled?

So they didn't reach their goal but we are all atill thrilled?

Its not easy getting medals - why not be thrilled? no need to be lil' miss debbie downer all the time.

Plus, if its not your cup of tea why bother?

hailing it as a boost to the country’s recovery from last year’s quake-tsunami disaster.

The Olympics had nothing to do with the disaster and the disaster had nothing to do with the Olympics.

hoping that could invigorate its bid to host the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Japan is in no fit state to host the Olympics. Radiation is all over the place and who can say what will happen in the next 8 years? What if this long awaited 'Big One' hits Tokyo when the Olympics are on? Who is going to apologize then?

They will get it, of course.

no need to hate 7 Gold medals is a god achievement - It all depends on how much money your spend and how big your population is after all...

Incorrect. Great Britain is smaller than Japan and they kicked butt.

Gold, silver, or bronze. They are all great. What's with the negativity about "not winning Gold". Saw this with all of the countries. In the whole scope of things, it doesn't matter. Sports are great and should be fun. Millions of people have forgotten this. Also, there are many more important things in life. The amount of money used for the Olympics is ludicrous.

In the whole scope of things, it doesn't matter. Sports are great and should be fun.

Kyle -- exactly. My negativity was not aimed at the Japanese athletes' performance. They did very well. My negativity is aimed at the Japan Inc. folks - media types, politicans, etc. -- who insist on trying to try to tie their accomplishments to a cause, like quake recovery/getting the 2020 games, that suits their agenda. And/or the ones who imply that Japan's silver and bronze winners were somehow more courageous or worthy than those from other countries. I can name several athletes, like the legally-blind archer from SK, or the amputee sprinter from South Africa, or the marathoner who competed under the IOC flag because he had no country, who take a back seat to no one in terms of bravery,or representing the true spirit of the Olympics.

My dream would be for the Olympics to truly showcase the achievements of all the athletes and to leave countries and therefore politics, out of it.

One of the reasons why I prefer the Paralympics.

All Amateurs and some of their achievements are stunning, also no politics and much better sportsmanship. Once of my co-worker coached our speed-skating team for the paralympics.

herefornow:

who insist on trying to try to tie their accomplishments to a cause, like quake recovery/getting the 2020 games, that suits their agenda. And/or the ones who imply that Japan's silver and bronze winners were somehow more courageous or worthy than those from other countries

I have personally never witnessed this. If I have, I would have agreed to your assessment. Do you have any actual examples on this so that I can agree?

When someone you're rooting for wins, or does well even in the face of a much better performer, you get strength from that. Everyone knows that.

All these ppl saying the olympics have nothing to do with the Tohoku disaster(s), I have no idea what they're talking about. Yeah, like, organizationally the Tohoku states and the IOC are completely different. Sure, pols and media types overstating the event are self-serving buntcups. But seeing someone you identify with do well gives you strength.

That said, the J olympic types have been awful with their declarations of golds, pressure, esp the Judo coaches, a lot of real nonsense.

I have personally never witnessed this. If I have, I would have agreed to your assessment. Do you have any actual examples on this so that I can agree?

Yuh, duh -- read the article.

There was an interesting commentary by a sports columnist here in the States a few days ago when the U.S. started thumping its chest as they passed China in the medal count. He said rather than be impressed at the number of medals earned, take a look at the number of medals earned PER CAPITA. There were some amazing feats accomplished (and medals won) by athletes from countries that are but a drop in the bucket, population-wise, to the U.S. and China.

" There were some amazing feats accomplished (and medals won) by athletes from countries that are but a drop in the bucket, population-wise, to the U.S. and China."...... like South Korea or Hungary.....

herefornow: See no such reference in the article. Difficult to agree with you without actual reference.