"Symbolizing a Sinking Korea"... Japan Criticizes Olympic Team but Ranks Below Korea [Paris Olympics]

Japanese Media: 'Minimal Personnel Dispatched... Sinking Symbol of Korea'
3 Days Before Closing, 9th Place Overall Korea 6th, Japan 7th

As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach their final stages, the atmosphere among the Korean and Japanese teams is flowing in distinctly different directions. Korea is beaming with smiles, while Japan appears somewhat somber.

On the afternoon of the 4th, as the 2024 Paris Olympics entered its later stages (local time), South Korean medalists who have won medals at this event gathered at Korea House located in the center of Paris for a press conference. The athletes attending the conference are holding their medals and smiling brightly.
(from the bottom line, counterclockwise) Shooting Yang Ji-in, Ban Hyo-jin, Kim Ye-ji, Oh Ye-jin, Judo An Ba-ul, Heo Mi-mi, Kim Ji-soo, Kim Won-jin, Han Ju-yeop, Kim Ha-yoon, Lee Jun-hwan, Kim Min-jong, Fencing Oh Sang-wook, Do Kyung-dong, Jeon Ha-young, Yoon Ji-soo.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

As of 11 a.m. on the 9th (Korean time), Korea has surpassed initial expectations by securing 13 gold medals, along with 8 silver and 7 bronze medals, ranking 6th overall. Japan recorded the same number of gold medals as Korea, 13, but with one fewer silver medal at 7, placing them 7th.

Japan, the host nation of the previous Olympics, leveraged home advantage to achieve their best-ever performance with 27 gold medals, finishing 3rd overall. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, Japan sent their largest-ever delegation of 409 athletes, setting a goal of 20 gold medals.

Japanese media mocked the Korean delegation's size, which shrank to 144 athletes?60% of the 232 athletes sent to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?calling it "a symbol of a sinking Korea."

Earlier, the sister publication of the Japanese far-right Sankei Shimbun, Yukan Fuji, published a column on the 28th of last month by prominent Japanese right-wing figure Murotani Katsumi titled "Korea's sparse coverage of the Paris Olympics, delegation only 60% of Tokyo Olympics, team events only women's handball."

In this column, Murotani claimed, "With the Olympics underway, global media are extensively covering their own athletes' performances. However, Korean media, which pride themselves as a sports powerhouse, are only giving minimal coverage of the Paris Olympics." He also criticized the reduced size of the Korean delegation compared to the previous Olympics, calling the Paris Olympics "a symbol of a sinking Korea."

On the 31st (local time), at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, South Korea's Oh Sang-wook (left) and Gu Bon-gil celebrate winning the gold medal by defeating Hungary in the men's sabre team final at the 2024 Paris Olympics fencing event.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The goals of the Korean and Japanese teams preparing for this event were clearly different. Korea sent a delegation of 144 athletes, the smallest in half a century, and reduced their gold medal target to 5. Following failures to qualify in major team sports such as soccer, volleyball, and basketball, and continued poor performance in previously strong sports like wrestling, Korea set realistic goals.

In contrast, eternal rival Japan took a different approach. Japan sent a record 409 athletes and set a target of 20 gold medals?the highest ever for an overseas-hosted Olympics. Including silver and bronze, they vowed to collect a total of 55 medals. Following their best-ever performance at the Tokyo Olympics with 27 gold medals and 3rd place overall, Japan aimed to solidify their position as an emerging sports powerhouse in Paris.

However, fortunes diverged. On the 4th, the Japanese team emphasized in a mid-term evaluation that "our goal remains 20 gold medals," with no plans to revise the target. Yet, with key medal-contending events concluded, achieving more than 20 gold medals is realistically impossible.

With a significant gap already opened with 3rd place Australia (18 golds), Japan's realistic goal is to maintain superiority over Korea. In the previous Tokyo Games (27 golds to 6) and Rio Games (12 to 8), Japan had a large lead over Korea. If Korea surpasses Japan in this tournament, it would be the first reversal in 12 years since the London Games, when Korea won 13 golds to Japan's 7.

This tournament is expected to mark a turning point in Korean Olympic history. The Korean team, strong in archery, shooting, and fencing, set numerous first-time Olympic records.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Korea achieved a clean sweep in all archery events for the first time ever, something not accomplished even at the 1988 Seoul Games. They recorded a historic 10 consecutive team event wins and produced two of Korea's first-ever triple gold medalists (Im Si-hyun, Kim Woo-jin). Kim Woo-jin's final shoot-off in the individual event, dubbed the "4.9mm miracle," was a legendary match in archery history.

In shooting, Korea set an all-time Olympic record with 3 gold and 3 silver medals. Korean men's fencing saw its first-ever double gold medalist (Oh Sang-wook). The fencing sabre team also achieved a three-peat in the team event. In judo, Korea made headlines by winning a record 5 medals. Jo Young-jae's rapid-fire pistol and Lim Ae-ji's women's boxing medals were Korea's first-ever in those events, deeply engraving them in the hearts of the nation.

Japan performed well in combat sports. In judo, the sport's country of origin, they won 3 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals. In wrestling, where Korea struggled, Japan secured 2 gold and 2 bronze medals, winning gold for the sixth consecutive Olympics. Additionally, Japan achieved good results in gymnastics, fencing, and skateboarding, ranking 6th and 7th alongside Korea.

Park Hye-jeong is lifting a barbell in the women's super heavyweight event at the 2024 Asian Weightlifting Championships held on the 9th in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Park Hye-jeong emerged as a promising athlete after winning a gold medal for South Korean women's weightlifting for the first time in 13 years since Jang Mi-ran at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Korea is challenging history again with a 14th gold medal in taekwondo, breaking (dance), women's weightlifting, and high jump. Japan is also pursuing additional gold medals in wrestling and breaking during the remaining period.

Japan rose to become a sports powerhouse through the Tokyo Olympics. Their sports foundation is solid from the grassroots level. Unlike Korea, where physical education has declined, Japan's progress and achievements in team and athletics events are remarkable. Although the medal counts are similar in this tournament, Korea's sports scene, which heavily relies on individual athletes' determination and ability, has areas that need reflection.

Japan's prediction that "Korea is a sports weak nation" was completely off the mark. The Korean delegation recorded 13 gold medals, tying their highest-ever Olympic gold medal count (13 golds at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games). Over the remaining three days, the entire nation is focused on who will become the 14th gold medalist, setting a new milestone in Korean Olympic history.