They'll be awarding more of those medals than ever before. There will be 339 medal events in 33 different sports, including the return of baseball and softball, as well as the Olympic debuts of surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing and karate. Tokyo will also become the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.
When Tokyo last hosted in 1964, it was a different time. There was half as many athletes and half as many sports. Those were also the last Olympics with a dirt track. The all-weather running surface that has been standard ever since debuted four years later in Mexico City. Those 1964 Games were also held in October, so the intense Japanese summer heat wasn't an issue, which it definitely will be next summer (another sign of the different times: TV didn't dictate when the Olympics were held 55 years ago).
One of the coolest things at the 1964 Olympics was the torch lighting. The honor went to Yoshinori Sakai, who was born in Hiroshima the day the atomic bomb was dropped on that city. Next summer, the circumstances will be much different. And the final torchbearer should reflect that. We'll likely see a great Japanese Olympic champion of the past light the cauldron. And, since Japan traditionally finishes among the top 10 in the medal standings, they've got plenty to choose from...
Sawao Kato is older and likely won't be selected, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a fine choice. He was the star of Japan's dominant men's gymnastics team in the 1960s and 70s, winning 12 medals and eight golds from 1968-76. He's Japan's most decorated Olympian, and only five athletes have more gold medals than him. (Kato will have to be involved in the Opening Ceremony in some way. My guess is as one of the people who carries in the Olympic flag.)
Another gymnast who would be worthwhile and seems more likely is Kohei Uchimura. The two-time reigning Olympic champion in the men's all-around, he also won six consecutive World titles from 2009-15. Uchimura also won all-around silver in Beijing and will enter his home Games as a seven-time medalist. Although, since men's gymnastics always gets underway on the first weekend, Uchimura is probably out.
Japan takes great pride in its international team sport success. They won the 2011 Women's World Cup and the first two World Baseball Classics. So, even though they've never won Olympic gold in either of those sports, I can see them honoring the Olympic medalists who were key members of those teams. Homare Sawa was the MVP of the 2011 Women's World Cup and played in four Olympics, winning silver in London. Daisuke Matsuzaka, meanwhile, in addition to winning the World Series with the 2007 Red Sox, was the MVP of both the 2006 and 2009 WBC. He was also on Japan's Olympic silver medal-winning team in 2004. With baseball returning to the program after a 12-year absence, I can't think of a better representative.
Naomi Osaka has become one of the faces of the Games with her two Grand Slam titles and rise to No. 1 over the past 12 months. But another Japanese tennis player has left just as big a mark, and I can easily see him being recognized for it. Kei Nishikori became the first Asian men's player to reach a Grand Slam final at the 2014 US Open, and he beat Nadal to claim Olympic bronze in Rio.
If they want to link the two Tokyo Games at the Opening Ceremony, there's a cool way to potentially do it. Hiroshi Hoketsu represented the home team in equestrian as a 23-year old in 1964. He was an Olympian again 44 years later in Beijing, then again as a 70-year-old in London, making Hoketsu the third-oldest Olympian ever.
Koji Murofushi has had an Olympic career that can only be described as "unique." He finished second in the hammer throw in Athens, only to be upgraded to gold a few days later. Murofushi was originally fifth in Beijing, was moved up to bronze after the gold and silver medalists were DQ'ed, then was moved back to fifth after they won their appeal. He then won the World Championship in 2011 and a second Olympic medal (bronze) in London.
An out-of-the-box selection would be the pair of Miya Tachibana & Miho Takeda. In a sport that has been dominated by the Russians for years, they managed to win five medals (four silver, one bronze) in synchronized swimming between 1996-2004, including back-to-back second-place finishes in the duet (2000-04).
There are five names at the top of my list, though. And I think the final torchbearer will be one of those five. They're all legends in their respective sports, and their sports are all incredibly popular in Japan. It would be a big surprise if the final torchbearer doesn't come from this group.
Swimming is so popular in Japan it led to a dispute between the Tokyo organizers and NBC over when the finals would be held. NBC ended up winning, and the finals will be in the morning so that they can be shown live in prime time in the U.S. Anyway, the biggest name in Japanese swimming is arguably Kosuke Kitajima. He's a four-time Olympian and won four gold medals, pulling of the double in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at both the 2004 and 2008 Games. He also held the world record in both events.
Judo was created in Japan and made its Olympic debut in 1964. So it would figure that the Japanese have been very successful in the sport. Ryoko Tani was dubbed the "best female judoka ever" when she retired after a seven World titles and medals at five straight Olympics (1992-2008), including gold in Sydney and Athens. On the men's side, meanwhile, Tadahrio Nomura is the only judoka to win three straight Olympic titles, capturing extra lightweight gold in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens.
Women's wrestling was added to the Olympic program in 2004, and the Japanese have been the dominant force. Japan has won 11 of the 18 gold medals awarded in women's wrestling all-time. They have two absolute legends who may or may not compete in Tokyo, either of whom would be a great choice. And, with women's Olympic participation set to be at an all-time high, it would be appropriate for either to be the selection.
Saori Yoshida lost a grand total of three matches in her international career. One was to Helen Maroulis in the 2016 Olympic final, denying her a fourth consecutive gold medal. She also won 13 World Championships. The only woman who can top that, though, is four-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho, who was undefeated from 2003-16. Icho might not get a chance to go for a fifth straight Olympic title at home (she lost in the Japanese trials for the World Championships). But a bigger honor could be in store for her. If it were up to me, she'd be lighting the Olympic cauldron.
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