Off the wire
• Olympic host city to boost police force by 33 pct during Games  • Aussie dollar under pressure ahead of central bank policy meeting  • Polls show divided America with Democrats viewed more favorably after convention  • Aussie airlines disrupted by Indonesian volcano  • U.S.-Cuba talks on claims "complext and difficult," official says  • Brazilian officials catch alleged mastermind of Ecclestone kidnapping  • Chinese fencer Lei Sheng ready to defend his crown in Rio  • Malaysia assumes rotating presidency of UN Security Council for August  • Antibodies could combat atherosclerosis as well as tumor  • Djokovic lands in Rio ahead of bid for elusive Olympic gold  
You are here: 　 Home

Japan eyes 14 golds at Rio Olympics

Xinhua, August 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Japan is expected to claim 30 medals including 14 golds at the Rio Olympic Games, revealed the deputy chef de mission Yuji Takada here on Monday.

The Japanese contingent for Rio has 331 athletes, the country's third-largest group at the Olympics following 355 athletes in Tokyo 1964 and 339 athletes in Beijing 2008.

"Tokyo will holds the 2020 Olympic Games and our athletes' performance at Rio will have an effect on the 2020 Games," said Takada at the news conference held by the Japanese delegation. "Fourteen gold medals and 30 or more medals in total, that's the target of Japan."

Four years ago, Japan grabbed 38 medals including seven golds at the London Olympics. Takada admitted that the goal of 14 golds is aggressive, "but if you go low, it's hard to win any medal. Besides, the target is not impossible."

Takada said they count on their judokas a lot. Besides, they are hoping to clinch titles in swimming, gymnastics, wrestling and other events.

Japan suffered a blow in London Olympics as the traditional powerhouse only pocketed one judo gold. The Japanese judokas grabbed four Olympic golds at Beijing 2008 and eight at Athens 2004. Endit