Javelin thrower Yukifumi Murakami, the captain of Japan's team at the London Olympics, will not attend the opening ceremony on July 27, officials revealed Thursday.
Although the Japan Olympic Committee had informed the athletics federation that the captain is required to attend official functions, Murakami will not compete until the later stages of the Games and he is giving priority to his preparations. The JOC has accepted his reasoning.
Murakami will attend other official functions prior to the team's departure. Starting next week, he will train in Tokyo with fellow javelin thrower Genki Dean and expects to arrive in London on Aug. 3.
Japan's captain at the 2000 Sydney Games, baseball player Masanori Sugiura, also skipped the opening festivities.