On May 16, Beijing time, according to Japanese media TBC Northeast Broadcasting, Japanese table tennis core Tomokazu Zhang said in a recent interview that he is eager to win better medals at the Paris Olympics than the previous one, and return to his hometown Sendai with more medals with his sister. He said: "I want to complete the mission of the Paris Olympics with my sister and a smile. As the Olympics approached, Japanese athletes made wishes, and Tomokazu Haramoto said frankly: "The goal is to win the gold medal, but it is not easy to do anything." If you want to win the Olympic gold medal, you must beat the Chinese team at least once. ”
Tomokazu Zhangmoto, 20, is ranked 10th in the world in men's singles. Three years ago, he competed in the men's singles and men's team competitions at the Tokyo Olympics. In the men's singles 1/8 finals, he lost to Slovenia's Darko. In the semifinals of the men's team, the Japanese team lost to Germany 2-3, and although Zhang Ben scored two points alone, he still failed to save the defeat. However, in the bronze medal match, Japan defeated South Korea and Tomokazu Haramoto won his first Olympic medal in his career.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Tomokazu Haramoto has become the absolute core of the Japanese team. He will compete in the Mixed Doubles (with Hina Hayata), Men's Singles and Men's Team competitions. Mixed doubles is his favourite event, as there is only a maximum of one pair per association. As long as there are no surprises before the final, they will face China's Shatou combination in the final and are expected to compete for gold. At the 2022 Chengdu World Table Tennis Championships, Zhang Benzhi and Zeng Chao played at a high level, defeating Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong in a row. If Japan break out again in the team event in Paris, their impact should not be underestimated.
Tomokazu said: "Since you are competing, you have to work hard for the gold medal. The Chinese team is the strongest, and it will be extremely difficult to beat them in any individual event. If you want to win gold, you must beat the Chinese team at least once. In the men's competition, in addition to the Chinese team, there are many world-class teams and masters. In order to achieve near-perfect results, I will give 99% of my best. ”
Tomokazu Zhangmoto's younger sister, Miwa Zhangmoto, is 15 years old and ranked No. 8 in the women's singles world. In this Paris Olympics, Zhang Benmeihe qualified for the women's team. The Japanese women's team is strong, second only to the Chinese team and significantly higher than other teams. Japan has a high chance of winning the silver medal in the women's team. Tomokazu Zhang said: "In order not to lose to my sister, I will try to get more successful medals." I hope to end this Paris Olympics with my sister with a smile and return to my hometown Sendai with more medals. ”