Japan Finishes Third in Paris 2024 Medal Table

Japan finished Paris 2024 with a haul of 20 gold, 12 silver, and 13 bronze medals, bringing its final count to 45. It ranked third in the medal table behind the United States and China but ahead of host nation France, which won 16 golds. It was Japan’s second highest number of gold medals and overall medal total after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The wrestling tournament brought a medal rush in the second half of the Olympics, as Japan won 11 medals, 8 of them gold. All six Japanese female wrestlers came away with medals. Among them, Fujinami Akari clinched gold in the 53-kilogram weight class, extending her unbeaten run to 137 bouts. At just 20, Fujinami is expected to continue to be a dominant force in her weight class.

Japan won five medals in individual fencing and team events. Since Ōta Yūki won the country’s first Olympic fencing medal in 2008, a silver in the men’s individual foil, Japan has gradually established itself as a major power in the sport.

Among the events where Japan won its first medals at Paris 2024, Kitaguchi Haruka became the country’s first female champion in a field event with the gold in the javelin throw, while diver Tamai Rikuto took silver in the men’s 10-meter platform, and Satō Taishū won silver in the modern pentathlon. B-girl Yuasa Ami made history by winning gold in breaking, which made its Olympic debut in Paris.

With his stunning final trick in the men’s street skateboarding final, Horigome Yūto narrowly retained his Olympic title. In the women’s street event, Yoshizawa Coco and Akama Liz secured a one-two finish for Japan.

In the jūdō competition, however, there was some disappointment. While Japan brought home 8 medals overall in the sport, it fell short of the 12 it won at Tokyo 2020, and there were just two female Japanese medalists.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Wrestler Fujinami Akari beams with joy after winning the women’s freestyle 53-kilogram gold medal. © Reuters.)