Japan at the 2012 Summer Olympics
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Japan, represented by Japanese Olympic Committee, competed at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...
in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Despite being London's third Olympic Games, Japan marked their London debut at this games. The nation also celebrated its centennial anniversary in the Olympics, having participated at every games since 1912 except for two editions; it was not invited to the
1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ...
in London for its role in World War II, and was also part of the US-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Japan sent a total of 295 athletes to the Games, 138 men and 157 women, to compete in 24 sports. Japan left London with a total of 38 medals (7 gold, 14 silver, and 17 bronze), finishing eleventh in the gold medal rankings and sixth in the overall medal rankings. This was also the nation's most successful Olympics, winning the largest number of medals in non-boycotted games. Eleven of these medals were awarded to the athletes in swimming, seven in judo, six in wrestling, and three in gymnastics. Five Japanese athletes won more than a single Olympic medal in London. With the absence of baseball and softball at the Olympics, Japan's team-based athletes proved successful in London, as women's football and women's volleyball teams won silver and bronze medals, respectively. For the first time since
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * J ...
, Japan had won two Olympic medals in men's boxing. Among the nation's medalists were freestyle wrestlers
Kaori Icho is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She is a ten-time World Champion and four-time Olympic Champion, winning gold in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Icho was undefeated between 2003 and 2016. On 29 January 2016 at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2 ...
and Saori Yoshida, who successfully defended their Olympic titles in their respective events. Two-time Olympic silver medalist and gymnast
Kōhei Uchimura is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast. He is a seven-time Olympic medalist (all-around, team and floor exercise), winning three golds and four silvers, and a twenty-one-time World medalist (all-around, team, floor exercise, horizontal bar, and ...
won the coveted gold medal in individual all-around, becoming the fourth Japanese man to claim the title after 28 years. Meanwhile, Ryōta Murata became the first Japanese boxer to win an Olympic gold medal since
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
, in the men's middleweight division. Defending swimming champion
Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese retired breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals at the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and the 2008 Summer Olympics – becoming the first and only swimmer to sweep the breaststroke events at ...
, who aimed to win gold in two breaststroke events for third Games in succession, missed out on the medal standings in the finals.


Medalists

The following Japanese competitors won medals at the Games. In the by discipline sections below, medalists' names are bolded. , width=78% align=left valign=top , , width=22% align=left valign=top ,


Delegation

Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) selected a team of 295 athletes, 138 men and 157 women, to compete in all sports except
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, and
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...
; it was the nation's fifth-largest team sent to the Olympics, but the smallest since the
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
in Sydney. For the second time in its Olympic history, Japan was represented by more female than male athletes. There was only a single competitor in diving and in equestrian dressage. The Japanese team included several past Olympic champions, three of them defending (freestyle wrestlers
Kaori Icho is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She is a ten-time World Champion and four-time Olympic Champion, winning gold in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Icho was undefeated between 2003 and 2016. On 29 January 2016 at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2 ...
and Saori Yoshida, and breaststroke swimmer
Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese retired breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals at the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and the 2008 Summer Olympics – becoming the first and only swimmer to sweep the breaststroke events at ...
). Yoshida, who won two consecutive gold medals in the Olympics before, became Japan's third female flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 2004, and the sixth in Olympic history. Javelin thrower and one-time world and Asian champion Yukifumi Murakami, on the other hand, served as the nation's team captain. Dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu repeated his record from Beijing, as the oldest athlete to compete in these Olympic Games, at age 71. Single sculls rower Daisaku Takeda and show jumper Taizo Sugitani made their fifth appearance, having participated at every Olympic Games since 1996. Hammer thrower and former Olympic gold medalist
Koji Murofushi is a former Japanese-Romanian hammer thrower and sports scientist. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was the 2004 Olympic champion. In 2011, he was crowned world champion. ...
, along with swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, was among the Japanese athletes who competed at their fourth Olympics. Meanwhile, breaststroke swimmer Kanako Watanabe, at age 15, was the youngest athlete of the team. Other Japanese athletes featured gymnast and two-time Olympic silver medalist
Kōhei Uchimura is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast. He is a seven-time Olympic medalist (all-around, team and floor exercise), winning three golds and four silvers, and a twenty-one-time World medalist (all-around, team, floor exercise, horizontal bar, and ...
, javelin thrower and world junior champion Genki Dean, who embraced his British roots to represent the nation, table tennis player
Ai Fukuhara is a retired Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medalist, winning silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics and bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics with the Japanese women's team. She is sponsored by All Nippon Airways. Table tennis career Fukuh ...
, who became highly popular in China and Japan because of her nickname "China-dolls", and swimmers Ryosuke Irie and
Takeshi Matsuda is a retired Japanese Olympic, Asian and National Record holding swimmer. He swam for Japan at the 2004, 2008 Olympics, 2012 Olympics, and 2016 Olympics, winning four medals. At the 2008 Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the men's 200 m butte ...
, who previously won the bronze medal in Beijing. , width=78% align=left valign=top , The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves for fencing, field hockey, football, and handball are not counted as athletes:


Archery

Japan has qualified one archer for the men's individual event and one archer for the women's individual event ;Men ;Women


Athletics

Japanese athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard): ;Men ;Track & road events
. Japan Association of Athletics Federations (2012-06-11). Retrieved 19 June 2012.
;Field events ;Combined events –
Decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄ ...
;Women ;Track & road events ;Field events


Badminton

;Men ;Women ;Mixed


Boxing

Japan has so far qualified boxers for the following events ;Men


Canoeing


Slalom

Japan has qualified boats for the following events


Sprint

Japan has qualified boats for the following events Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)


Cycling

Japan had qualified the following cyclists for the Games.


Road


Track

;Sprint ;Team sprint ;Keirin


Mountain biking


Diving

Japan has qualified in the following events. ;Women


Equestrian

Currently, Japan has qualified eight athletes for the Games.


Dressage


Eventing


Show jumping


Fencing

Japan has qualified 8 fencers. ;Men ;Women


Field hockey

Japan has qualified 1 team. * Women's event – 1 team of 16 players.


Women's tournament

;Group play ;9th/10th place


Football

Japan is qualified for the men's and women's event * Men's team event – 1 team of 18 players * Women's team event – 1 team of 18 players


Men's tournament

;Squad ;Group play ;Quarter-final ;Semi-final ;Bronze medal game ;Final rank: 4th place.


Women's tournament

;Squad ;Group play ;Quarter-final ;Semi-final ;Gold medal game


Gymnastics


Artistic

;Men ;Team * On 30 July, Koji Yamamuro was injured on vault during the men's team final. It was announced that he would not compete in the individual all-around final as a result, and that his teammate,
Kazuhito Tanaka is a Japanese gymnast, Olympic silver and 3-time World medalist. Younger siblings, sister Rie Tanaka and brother Yusuke Tanaka, are both professional gymnasts. Tanaka's first major international competition was the 2009 World Championships, w ...
would be able to compete instead.
;Individual finals ;Women ;Team ;Individual finals


Rhythmic


Trampoline


Judo

;Men ;Women


Modern pentathlon

Based on their results at the 2011 Asian/Oceania Championships three Japanese pentathletes have qualified for London;
Shinichi Tomii is a Japanese modern pentathlete. He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July t ...
has earned places in the men's event;
Shino Yamanaka is a Japanese modern pentathlete. At the 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 Augu ...
and Narumi Kurosu have earned places in the women's event.


Rowing

Japan has qualified the following boats. ;Men ;Women Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage


Sailing

Japan has qualified 1 boat for each of the following events ;Men ;Women ;Open M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race;


Shooting

Japan has gained four quota places in the shooting events; ;Men ;Women


Swimming

Japan sent a total of 29 swimmers at the London games, after having achieved qualifying standards in their respective events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)): Excluding the relay events, eight swimmers competed in more than a single event, including the defending champion
Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese retired breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals at the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and the 2008 Summer Olympics – becoming the first and only swimmer to sweep the breaststroke events at ...
from the breaststroke events. By results, Japan left London with 11 swimming medals (3 silver and 8 bronze), the largest amount received at a single event. Backstroke swimmer Ryosuke Irie, and breaststroke swimmer Satomi Suzuki managed to win three medals in all of their respective events, whether individual or relay.
Kosuke Hagino is a Japanese former competitive swimmer who specialized in the individual medley and 200 m freestyle. He is a four-time Olympic medalist, most notably winning gold in the 400 m individual medley at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Hagino holds the ...
, the youngest male swimmer in the team, surprisingly won the bronze medal in the men's 400 m individual medley, surpassing all-time defending champion Michael Phelps, who finished behind him in the finals. Butterfly swimmer
Takeshi Matsuda is a retired Japanese Olympic, Asian and National Record holding swimmer. He swam for Japan at the 2004, 2008 Olympics, 2012 Olympics, and 2016 Olympics, winning four medals. At the 2008 Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the men's 200 m butte ...
managed to repeat his bronze medal from Beijing in the men's 200 m butterfly, in addition to his silver from the men's medley relay event. Kitajima, who bid to win double breaststroke swimming events for third Games in succession, missed out of medal standings in the final rounds. ;Men ;Women WSO – Win swim-off; LSO – Lost swim-off


Synchronized swimming

Japan has qualified 9 quota places in synchronized swimming.


Table tennis

Japan has qualified 3 men and 3 women. ;Men ;Women


Taekwondo

Japan has qualified the following quotas.


Tennis


Triathlon

Japan has qualified 2 men and 3 women.


Volleyball


Beach

The men's team qualified after winning the AVC Continental Beach Volleyball Cup.


Indoor


Women's tournament

Japan has qualified a team to the women's indoor tournament through the World Qualification Tournament. * Women's team event – 1 team of 12 players ;Team roster ;Group play ;Quarter-final ;Semi-final ;Bronze medal match


Weightlifting

Japan has qualified 1 man and 4 women.


Wrestling

Japan has qualified in the following quota places. ;Men's freestyle ;Men's Greco-Roman ;Women's freestyle


See also

*
Japan at the Olympics Japan first participated at the Olympic Games in 1912, and has competed at almost every Games since then. The nation was not invited to the 1948 Games after World War II, and was part of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Mo ...
* Japan at the 2012 Summer Paralympics


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Japan At The 2012 Summer Olympics Nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...