On the evening of July 27, in the first round of the mixed doubles of table tennis at the Paris Olympics, the Japanese pair Tomokazu Haramoto and Hina Hayada lost 1-4 to the North Korean pair Lee Jung-sik and Kim Qin-young, ending their Olympic journey ahead of schedule, which undoubtedly became the most shocking sports news of the night.
At the beginning of the competition, the duo of Tomokazu Haramoto and Hina Hayada encountered unprecedented challenges. Against their North Korean opponents, known as the "Mystery Division," they clearly failed to get into the groove quickly, losing the first game 5-11, setting a bad tone for the match. Although in the second game, the two adjusted their form in time to win 11-7, but the rebound did not last long. In the third game, the North Korean pair once again showed their strong strength, winning easily 11-4 and regaining the initiative in the game.
Entering the fourth game, the two sides engaged in fierce entanglement, and the score rose alternately until it was tied at 13-13. However, at the critical moment, the North Korean pair Lee Jung-sik and Kim Qin-young seized the opportunity and won the game 15-13 thrillingly, forcing the Japan pair to the edge of the cliff. In the fifth game, Tomokazu Zhangmoto and Hina Hayata, who fought against the odds, struggled to save a match point, but in the end they were unable to resist the offensive of the North Korean pair, losing the decisive fifth game 10-12, with a total score of 1-4, and regrettably bidding farewell to the stage of the Paris Olympics.
The loss of this game is undoubtedly a heavy blow for the Japan table tennis team. As the mixed doubles champions of the last Olympics, they had high hopes of defending their title at this tournament.
Tomokazu Haramoto and Hina Hayada are among the favourites to win the title, as they have a proven track record on the world stage and are a force to be reckoned with. However, in this crucial game, they failed to perform at the level they should have, leaving many fans disappointed and regretful.
As for the reason for this upset, some analysts believe that Tomokazu Zhang and Hina Hayada are lacking in on-the-spot response. When faced with unfamiliar opponents, they failed to quickly find a way to crack their opponent's tactics, resulting in a passive situation in the game. In addition, Tomokazu Zhang's poor consistency in the game was also a significant factor in the loss. He often misses out on opportunities when it matters most, often failing to stay calm and focused.
In an interview on July 29, Tomokazu Zhang blamed part of the blame on the cheers of the audience. He said the excitement of the crowd cheering for the North Korean team made him uncomfortable and affected his concentration and judgment. As soon as this remark came out, it immediately caused an uproar on the Internet.
Many netizens believe that as a professional athlete, Tomokazu Zhang should have sufficient psychological quality and anti-interference ability, and attributing the victory or defeat of the game to the noise of the audience is obviously an irresponsible prevarication.
In competitive sports, athletes need to face a variety of complex competition environments and external factors, including spectator sentiment, field conditions, and opponent strength. But what really determines the outcome of the game is the athlete's own strength, technical and tactical level and psychological quality. As one of the world's top players, Tomokazu Haramoto should naturally have the ability to stay focused and play consistently in a noisy environment.
For the Japan table tennis team, this upset is undoubtedly a heavy blow. Failure is not terrible, what is terrible is the loss of confidence and fighting spirit. In future competitions, the Japan table tennis team needs to seriously sum up lessons learned, strengthen training and technical and tactical research, and strive to improve their strength and competitiveness. At the same time, they also need to develop a more mature and stable athlete mentality and work ethic to cope with more fierce competition and challenges.
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