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Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 6, 2021

Early American sumo trailblazer earned rare honor at Miyagino stable

In the summer of 1976, high-school teacher John Jacques traveled to Japan in order to learn what he could and promote the sport's development in Hawaii.
Japan Times
Rugby
Sep 22, 2021

All Blacks and Springboks prepare to meet for 100th time

New Zealand will hope to extend their recent dominance over South Africa on Saturday in what is increasingly becoming a one-sided rivalry.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 8, 2021

Tsukedashi shortcut helps amateur standouts climb pro sumo ranks

The system rewards strong performances in top amateur tournaments, allowing wrestlers to get a head start on the salaried rank of sekitori.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Sep 2, 2021

Kimi Raikkonen, the Finnish 'Iceman,' to retire from Formula One at end of season

Raikkonen is currently racing for the Swiss-based Alfa Romeo team and his departure opens up a seat, with compatriot Valtteri Bottas strongly tipped to take it if he leaves Mercedes.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Aug 30, 2021

Stuart Robinson reflects after Britain's stunning gold medal run in wheelchair rugby

Robinson, who lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan, helped lead a team that few had high aspirations for past favored Japan in the semifinals and over the U.S. in the final.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Aug 28, 2021

American Nick Mayhugh goes from soccer to track to the top of Paralympic podium

Mayhugh was a soccer player a little over a year ago and admits he's still learning how to be a track and field athlete. Luckily, he's a fast learner.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 13, 2021

LGBTQ stars grabbed spotlight at Olympics, but Japanese athletes remained hidden

If LGBTQ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics were their own country, they would have ranked seventh in the world, but no Japanese athletes would have been among them.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 6, 2021

Silver lining: Japan’s Kiyou Shimizu grateful to have competed in karate's Olympic debut

The Osaka native said that she was grateful that the sport's profile was raised through the Games and that it was a privilege to be able to perform at Nippon Budokan.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 6, 2021

At the Tokyo Olympic marathons, all eyes are on the shoes

Interest in runners' shoes is part of a trend that has grown over the last few years with the emergence of thick-soled sneakers with embedded carbon plates.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Aug 6, 2021

In pictures: Day 13 of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

This was the day that the host nation surpassed its own national record for most gold medals, including two from a pair of wrestling sisters.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 1, 2021

Japan's 3x3 basketball Olympic teams left wanting more after turning heads in preliminary round

“3x3 will have a huge impact on Japanese basketball in the future and there is a good chance Japan becomes a 3x3 powerhouse,” said Torsten Loibl, the director/coach of the country's teams.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 29, 2021

Men's Olympic soccer and the struggle for legitimacy

Poor performances by some of the sport's powerhouses, including France — who were beaten by Japan 4-0 on Wednesday — are a reminder that the Olympic tourney is a different beast.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 28, 2021

As athletics records tumble, new shoe technology puts comparisons in question

Since the arrival of thick-soled, carbon-plated road shoes and now their track spike equivalent, long-standing records set by the sport's all-time greats are being obliterated.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 27, 2021

Who can fill the track void left by Usain Bolt's retirement?

The two 2020 athletes of the year were Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, but their names remain largely unknown to the general public.
OLYMPICS
Jul 26, 2021

Yuto Horigome still in disbelief a day after winning Olympic skateboarding gold

The Japanese skater says he was honored to notch his name in the history book, having won the street competition in the newly added Olympic sport.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / FOCUS
Jul 25, 2021

Japan skateboarders hope Olympics debut can soften social stigma

The success of homegrown athletes like gold medal winner Yuto Horigome and medal contender Aori Nishimura could help shift attitudes in Japan.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 25, 2021

Fellow tennis stars happy to see Naomi Osaka light cauldron during opening ceremony

“It cannot be better for our sport, you are representing yourself, your country but also your sport,' said men's No. 1 Novak Djokovic.'
OLYMPICS
Jul 23, 2021

You read it here first (maybe): Who will light the Olympic cauldron

Some surprising names have been mentioned as leading candidates to perform one of the highest honors in sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 14, 2021

Potential titanic Hakuho-Terunofuji clash hearkens back to sumo rivalries of the past

From Umegatani and Hitachiyama in the 1900s to Asashoryu and Hakuho a century later, virtually every era in modern sumo history has been defined by its marquee pairing.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 21, 2021

These Olympics will be about doctors, not athletes

For medical personnel, eliminating spectators could mean the difference between controlling the pandemic at the doorstep or being overrun by a fresh outbreak.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jun 20, 2021

Returning U.S. Olympians rely on experience for another shot at glory

Earning a place on the United States Olympic team is tough at the best of times — but booking your ticket to a third, fourth or even fifth games during a pandemic is an enormous challenge.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 17, 2021

Asanoyama's suspension to impact upper reaches of banzuke rankings

The ozeki will sit out six grand tournaments after repeatedly violating the Japan Sumo Association's COVID-19 protocols.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jun 12, 2021

Women's sports ready for take off

Those looking to invest in sports should bet on women's leagues, with post-pandemic interest presenting new opportunities, according to Angela Ruggiero, the former International Olympic Committee executive board member and co-founder of the Sports Innovation Lab.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight