The term Ultra C is a cultural idiom in Japan that started as the informal strategy used by the Japanese Olympic gymnastics team in 1968. In the
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...
, gymnastic feats were assigned a difficulty rating A-C, with A being easier than C. Since then, the difficulty ratings have expanded to A-G. At the time, the Japanese team used the term "ultra-C" to describe their strategy, as a metaphor for their goal to perform on a level beyond the best score, or to give "110%". This strategy ultimately brought them the gold medal that year, and the term stuck so well it entered the Japanese lexicon.
The phrase became the basis for many marketing campaigns, and even lent to the title of the show ''
Ultra Q
is a 1966 Japanese ''tokusatsu'' ''kaiju'' television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya, first broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) on January 2, 1966 and having its twenty-eighth and final episode aired on December 14, 1967. This series w ...
'', and its sequel ''
Ultraman
The , also known as ''Ultraman'', is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series '' Ultra Q'' in 1966. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, fi ...
''.
Japanese words and phrases
Gymnastics in Japan
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