Japan sends off its Olympics team

TOKYO: Japan sent off its Paris Olympics team on Friday, looking to beat its best-ever gold medal haul from three years ago at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games.

Japan won 27 golds on home soil and is sending around 400 athletes to Paris -- its biggest team ever for an overseas Games. The Tokyo Games were held under strict anti-coronavirus rules, with spectators banned from most venues and street festivities scrapped.

Japan´s Paris team held a ceremony attended by members of the imperial family before moving to a send-off event packed with cheering fans and schoolchildren. "We had to hold the send-off celebrations online three years ago," said Japan´s chef de mission, Mitsugi Ogata.

"So I´m really grateful that we were able to have so many people giving us their support today." Japan have named two-time world champion fencer Misaki Emura and breakdancer Shigeyuki Nakarai, known as "Shigekix", as their flag-bearers.

"This will be the first time that breaking has been at the Olympics and everything is a new challenge," said Nakarai. "It´s a great honour to carry the flag."