July 7th, rugby finals: Japan rules the game by winning a double gold in both men’s and women’s tournaments. The French team seized the bottom spot on the podium for the men’s category, whereas the women’s spot is occupied by the defending champions from Russia. Interview with two of the protagonists.
Women’s gold winner: Japan – Tsutsumi, Honoka
As both a gold medallist and a female athlete, what do you hope to symbolize for female athletes from all over the world?
“As for rugby, I wish to inspire courage and hope.”
Today Japan won a double gold in rugby. What do you expect from the upcoming Olympics?
“Japan will host the Olympic Games and I am very excited about it, I hope we will be able to keep our strong team spirit in order until then”.
Your victory has been extraordinary. Did you expect this or do you think you could have achieved an even better result?
“Well, the result was positive, but we made some mistakes we will fix by improving in other competitions, while getting ready for Tokyo”.
Men’s gold winner: Japan – Niguma Hideto
How much did team spirit contribute to this victory?
“We started training together just six months ago, but during this time we built a very strong bond which helped us win this tournament, and I am very glad about that”.
Before today’s match, how did you handle pressure?
“Each one of us managed stress in a different way and this usually affects the group, but that was not the case this time.”
What message do you think rugby can covey to the world?
“I think rugby has the power to make people dream, infusing courage in its audience”.
