The Japan Table Tennis Association said Monday that 15-year-old Miwa Harimoto will join Hina Hayata and Miu Hirano in the women's team event at this summer's Paris Olympics.
Harimoto, whose older brother Tomokazu is also bound for Paris, was picked over Mima Ito in a decision closely watched not only in Japan but also other table tennis powerhouses such as China and Germany.
Ito collected three different medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, winning mixed doubles gold, team silver and singles bronze.
Hayata and Hirano had already secured their Paris spots for both the team and singles events by finishing first and second, respectively, in the new points-based selection process.
Ito finished third, and Harimoto fourth in the domestic race. In the world rankings as of Jan. 30, Ito is 10th and Harimoto 16th.
But the Japanese association opted for the rapidly ascending teen, who came close to upsetting world champion Sun Yingsha at the WTT Finals last December in Nagoya, losing three games to two.
"It's just unbelievable," Harimoto said. "I have to play with a great sense of responsibility. I want to cherish each day."
The men's team will consist of Tomokazu Harimoto, Shunsuke Togami and Hiroto Shinozuka, the governing body said.
Japan will qualify for the team event and earn two singles berths each on the men's and women's sides if it reaches the quarterfinals at the world team championships starting Feb. 16 in Busan, South Korea.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Japan took silver in the women's team event and claimed bronze in the men's team competition. China picked up gold in both events.