Beijing, China, February 3, 2022: Japanese ski jump legend Masahiko Harada lived up to his reputation as “Happy Harada” at the Japanese Olympic Committee press conference in the Main Media Centre in Beijing on Thursday afternoon.
Harada, whose career crowning glory was a team ski jump gold on the large hill at the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, is General Manager of the 124-strong team of athletes – a record number for Japan.
During the press conference he was asked about the impact of covid, the absence of spectators during competition and the atmosphere inside the “closed loop” of the Olympic Village.
His answer and attitude was the same – happy.
“I am spending a lot of time with the athletes and you can see the strong and vibrant expressions on their faces. Please look forward to brilliant performances by the athletes,” he said.
On the subject of the village, Harada, now 53, commented: “We are staying in new condos in Beijing and they are very comfortable. The dining hall is large and, although the athletes cannot go out of the closed loop, we are trying to make ourselves relaxed.
“You can feel the atmosphere in the Olympic Village. We are developing a sense of unity and our athletes are mixing with athletes from other sports, so I feel very encouraged by this.
“I am convinced all the athletes will deliver their best performance.”
Harada, who earned a gold, silver and bronze medal in the Winter Olympics, said that all the athletes had to undergo a PCR test every day but that everyone was in the same boat, so this was not a big distraction.
The delegation explained that one athlete had tested positive for covid but, after a period of isolation, had tested negative and been allowed back into the village.
Japan’s team comprises 124 athletes, 75 of them female.