China News Agency, Beijing, January 21. The Japanese Olympic Committee announced on the 20th the list of delegations to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics. The delegation consists of 260 people, including 122 contestants.
The number of participants in the Japanese delegation of the Beijing Winter Olympics ranks among the top three in the previous Winter Olympics that Japan has participated in.
In the Nagano Winter Olympics held in Japan in 1998, there were 156 Japanese participants; in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, there were 124 Japanese participants.
It is reported that the head of the Japanese delegation is Hidehito Ito, director of the Japanese Olympic Committee.
Hidehito Ito, 60, a director of the Japan Skating Association, previously served as chief supervisor of the Japanese delegation to the Sochi Winter Olympics and Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
The captain of the delegation is Miho Takagi, the speed skating champion of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. This is the second consecutive Winter Olympics where the Japanese Olympic Committee has made a female speed skater the team captain.
Four years ago, speed skater Nao Kodaira was the captain of the Japanese delegation at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Miho Takagi said that it is a great honor to be the captain of the delegation. "No matter how strong the opponent is, I will try my best to play the best form."
The flag-bearer of the delegation is composed of two men and women. The male flag-bearer is Akto Watanabe, who has won two silver medals in Nordic biathlon at the Winter Olympics, and the female flag-bearer is speed skater Yarisa.
Two-time Winter Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu is also on the list, and he will compete in individual and team competitions.
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