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It takes a lot of confidence to publicly announce that you want to be the first male athlete to win three medals in individual table tennis Olympics, a feat only one person has ever accomplished.
Of course, that confidence can be easy to come by when you are Harimoto Tomokazua Japanese teenage phenom who won his first ITTF World Tour title at just 14 years old.
This is exactly what Harimoto, now 19, has set as his goal for next year Olympics in Paris 2024.
But that’s not all.
In a recent interview with the ITTF’s Olympics.com website, Harimoto, who has a career-high ranking of second, admitted that he has what many believe is an even tougher goal: ending the People’s Republic of China. world number one in the choke hold.
The current top scorer is Fan Zhendong, who is more than 4000 ranking points ahead of Harimoto. Indeed, you have to go back to March 2018 (German Timo Boll) to find the last time a Chinese athlete was not number one in the world.
“To be world number one, I don’t have that confidence yet, but I’ll give it my all in every match and hopefully move up the rankings until I’m number one.”
Harimoto Tomokazu: All in for a golden future
Harimoto balances sports and studies over the years
In November 2022, Harimoto achieved a career-best world ranking when he finished second behind Fan.
It was a development long overdue, with the Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture native a mainstay and regular contender at the tour’s top level since he was 14 years old.
Recent changes though graduating from high school and started university studies offered Harimoto a new focus, he said.
“When I started university in April last year, my table tennis environment changed drastically. I worked hard at my sport and with the support of many people, such as the national team coaches and my family, who always supported me.”
He added that finding the balance is easy because he has decided to put sports first.
“Table tennis is always my number one priority,” Harimoto explained of how he juggles his sports career with his education. “When there are no competitions, I take university courses and do assignments. I have a good balance.
“It’s been six years since I started competing internationally in middle school, but I don’t take anything for granted to compete at this level.”
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Harimoto Tomokazu is ready to lead the Japanese table tennis team
Another turning point was the retirement of two of his teammates from their home Tokyo Olympics 2020 in 2021: Niwa Koki and Mizutani June.
Mizutani, in particular, had been the No. 1 on the Japanese team thanks to his experience, a role Harimoto is now eager to step into after enjoying his first taste of it at the 2022 World Championships in Chengdu, China.
“I was on top of the world rankings in Japan even before the Tokyo Olympics,” Harimoto recalled. “But the presence of Mizutani-san really supported Japan. He won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Olympics and he’s a great person.
“Now he’s retired, there’s no one I can rely on. Even though I’m younger, I have to lead Team Japan. I want to continue playing well while leading the team, like I did in last year’s World Cup.”
Harimoto knows nothing is guaranteed, not even his place in Paris 2024 right now. “First of all, the minimum goal is to get there,” he said.
However, the topic cannot be avoided: Harimoto wants to join three medals in one Olympic Games club.
With a third event, the mixed doubles, only added at Tokyo 2020, this club is exclusive with only Japanese women’s paddling. This is Mima (mixed doubles gold, team silver and singles bronze at Tokyo 2020) after completing the achievement.
“After I qualify, I want to win a medal in all three sports: singles, team and mixed doubles,” Harimoto affirmed.
“It would be great if hopefully at least one of them turns out to be a gold medal and I’ll do my best to make that happen.”
Table 1: Mixed Doubles Finals – Table Tennis | Tokyo 2020 replays
Harimoto is looking for a way to defeat his Chinese opponents
Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges for Harimoto and every table tennis athlete is to win supremacy of Chinese paddlers.
The fan has been number one in the world uninterrupted time extends until April 2020 Wang Chuqinlegendary Ma Long, Liang Jingkunand Lin Gaoyuan are all in the top 10 as well.
“They (Fan, Wang and Ma) are the top three players in the world, and beating them even once is very difficult,” Harimoto admitted.
“Especially Fan Zhendong, who has a lot more ranking points and is way ahead of me. They are rivals, but they are at a different, higher level.”
However, recent results have given Harimoto hope. – I beat him (Fan) once at the World Cup (in 2022), but I have to do it more consistently and work even harder.
“To do on such a big stage like the Olympics, I have to keep working and prepare well.”
And he uses past disappointments as fuel to motivate himself towards his big goals.
“The (2019) World Cup in Hungary and the Tokyo Olympics are two tournaments where I didn’t get the result I wanted. The match where I lost to Korea Republic. Jae-hyun Hungary’s last 16 in the World Cup continues to frustrate me.
“Reflecting on the match, I feel I can face any challenge. It’s still disappointing. I want revenge at the next big event.”
Harimoto Tomokazu and his mixed doubles future: could sister Miwa be a partner?
Harimoto’s younger sister, Cane, is quickly rising through the ranks himself. Although Tomokazu is currently partners Hina to life In mixed doubles, the siblings recently joined in one event and took the win.
However, his big brother’s instincts kick in as well. Tomokazu is understandably protective of Miwa.
“He’s doing great and doing more and more in sports and he’s getting all kinds of pressure,” the older sibling said. “But I want him to play table tennis without tension and with freedom, as he usually does.”
And their recent title together at WTT Contender Tunis?
“I never thought we would win the first tournament together in Tunisia. We work well together and make a good pair. But right now I’m aiming for the Paris Olympics with Hayata Hina.”
In the longer term, however, it appears that a mixed doubles pairing of the sisters is not out of the cards.
“I don’t know if I’ll even be in Los Angeles (2028); no one knows who will be there. But regardless of who my partner is, I want to win gold at the Games in mixed doubles.
“If it happens with my sister, that would be great.”
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