Another medal-earning feat by the Japan men's 4x100-meter relay team at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London was certainly an encouraging sign, and now it hopes to achieve its ultimate goal: winning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
That, of course, will not be an easy task.
Japan claimed a silver medal in the 4x100 relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and again at last summer's Rio de Janeiro Games, and grabbed bronze in Britain last week. Yet each time, the Japanese benefited from some kind of luck, such as elite teams being disqualified or making mistakes in baton exchanges.