Paris Standouts: Japan Chooses Its Olympic MVPs

The Japanese Olympic team enjoyed a successful Summer Games in Paris, finishing third in the medal table. The Sports Management Research Center at Sannō University conducted an online poll to find out who the public considered to be the Japanese MVP of the Olympics.

Topping the list with 104 votes was gymnast Oka Shinnosuke, who won three gold medals and one bronze. He was followed by Kitaguchi Haruka (92), Japan’s first ever gold medalist in the women’s javelin, and jūdōka Abe Hifumi (54), who defended his gold in the men’s half-lightweight division and won silver in the team competition. Rounding out the top five were women’s table tennis star Hayata Hina and men’s skateboarder Horigome Yūto.

The results were based on a survey of 1,000 people between the ages of 20 and 69, from which Sannō Sports Management received 430 responses (232 men and 198 women).

Along with MVPs, the survey asked respondents who they thought was the most impressive athlete at the games. Leading the MIP (most impressive player) ranking was Kitaguchi with 83 votes, followed close behind by Oka with 79.

Respondents also voted for athletes whose performances they found the most satisfying. Multiple votes were allowed, resulting in a different ranking compared to the MVP and MIP lists, which were decided according to single votes. At the top with 310 votes was table tennis star Hayata Hina, who won bronze in the women’s singles and silver in the team competition. Fellow teammates Harimoto Miwa (237) and Hirano Miu (230) also made the top five, coming in third and fourth, respectively.

Olympians from other countries also made an impact with respondents. Leading the way was Turkish sports shooter Yusuf Dikeç. The silver medalist in the 10-meter air pistol team competition earned 24 votes with his seemingly nonchalant approach to his sport, captivating fans in Japan and around the world by competing in a T-shirt and with his hand stuck casually in his pocket. French jūdōka Teddy Rinner garnered 23 votes with his dominance on the mat by winning his third individual gold medal and second in the mixed team competition.

Turkish sports shooter Yusuf Dikeç strikes his iconic pose while practicing in Ankara, Turkey, on August 8, 2024. His bare-bones look earned him the moniker mukakin ojisan on Japanese social media, referring to a middle-aged gamer who is content to play without making in-game purchases. (© Reuters/Cagla Gurdogan)

Looking ahead, the survey asked about events people are interested in following at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Respondents could choose 5 of the 35 official events to be held at the games. Top was jūdō at 24.2%, with baseball/softball, which were last included at Tokyo in 2021, coming second at 21.9%.

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo Gymnast Oka Shinnosuke celebrates his Olympic gold medal in the men’s all-around on July 31, 2024. © Reuters/Amanda Perobelli TPX Images of the Day.)