Packed with emotional moments! These are the sports to watch after the Olympics! | PR Agency Member Survey

Hello! I am Hino from the Sports Team, Division 3, Public Relations Business Headquarters.

As the first installment of a new project for “SUNNY DAYS” starting this term, we are bringing you the first edition of “We surveyed our members.” What trends, people, and things do PR professionals—who are exposed to the latest fads and trends every day—pay attention to in their daily lives…? We will share the “real voices” of our uniquely individual members!

It has been one week since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics—filled with fierce competition and many moving moments—came to an end.

These days, we are finally starting to get over that post-Olympics “loss,” but this time we conducted a survey on “Tell us your top recommended sport.”

For PR professionals, it is essential to keep track of what the media is covering on a daily basis. During the Olympics, many members were likely interested in the various events that were making headlines in the media.

We asked questions from three perspectives: “Events/athletes that caught your attention,” “Events/athletes that moved you,” and “Events/athletes you are looking forward to in the future.”

*Due to the timing of the survey, major topics such as Samurai Japan’s gold medal and marathon runner Suguru Osako’s final race as an active athlete are not included in the responses.

■ Events/Athletes That Caught Your Attention

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1st: Soccer

“The men’s team has a great lineup, so I’m expecting a medal! I’m also hoping the women’s team can return to the top, but…”

“As I cheered for them in this tournament, I really felt that the level of Japan’s men’s soccer has improved. I’m very excited for what’s to come, and I thought Kubo—who scored in all three group-stage matches—was truly outstanding.”

“Because they advanced to the semifinals after winning in extra time and on penalties.”

2nd: Skateboarding – Yuto Horigome

“Skateboarding was added as an event and won its first gold medal. He also owns a luxury mansion overseas worth 100 million yen.”

“He’s handsome and cute—I want to live with him in that LA house too♡”

“He has a cool vibe, and he landed big tricks to win the gold medal.”

3rd: Badminton

“I don’t usually get many chances to watch pro players’ skills on TV, so I pay attention every Olympics. I was also cheering for the Nagamatsu pair from my local Hokuto Bank (they lost, but they fought to the very end—right down to the wire!).”

“The Fukuhiro pair’s doubles match was very compelling. I was also moved by the Chinese player showing concern for Hirota’s injury.”

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Perhaps because we started the survey right when excitement was building around the men’s team’s medal prospects (?), we received many responses of “soccer,” which many members already like. It seems many were paying attention not only to Kubo on the men’s side, but also to women’s soccer.

And then there was skateboarder Horigome—who became a hot topic for his looks and luxury home—as well as badminton, where intense matches unfolded. Those are hard not to notice.

Some members also mentioned weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who participated as the first transgender athlete in Olympic history.

■ Events/Athletes That Moved You

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1st: Judo – Hifumi Abe and Uta Abe

“Their strong determination to ‘absolutely win gold together as siblings’ came through right up to the very end of their matches, and it made me want to cheer for them. I thought winning Olympic gold on the same stage as brother and sister was something that only happened in manga, so I was moved that it actually happened.”

“I was moved by seeing them win gold on the same day and by how they supported each other. Given the representative selection match against Maruyama, Hifumi’s comments after winning were especially moving.”

2nd: Table Tennis Mixed Doubles – Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito

“I witnessed the moment when the story of two people who have worked hard since childhood came to fruition.”

“I watched the MimaJun pair’s match against Germany in real time, and I was moved by the comeback.”

3rd: Softball

“(About Ueno) The impact her presence had on the team, and her toughness in delivering results under unimaginable pressure.”

“Winning the gold medal as redemption for softball.”

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Many respondents cited the Abe siblings in judo and Mizutani and Ito in mixed doubles table tennis—both of whom achieved “firsts” in history.

As with softball, a compelling “story” that leads to emotion is also an important element in PR.

■ Events/Athletes You Are Looking Forward to in the Future

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1st: Skateboarding

“Because young athletes won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events, I think it has created a situation where children can have dreams.”

“Because things like the entertaining commentary were trending on social media.”

2nd: Women’s 1500 m Track and Field – Nozomi Tanaka

“It’s not too long, not too short—just right!”

“Nozomi Tanaka has advanced to the finals for the first time in history while breaking the Japanese record. I already felt that athletes who can compete globally in middle-distance events were emerging, but seeing her build results on this big stage while setting records made me hopeful. Even if a medal is difficult, I am expecting strong times.”

3rd: Many votes for Basketball 3×3, Sport Climbing, BMX, and more

“Because the court isn’t that large and the playing time is short, it seems like you could do it anywhere if you wanted to. The fast-paced development keeps it from getting boring, and I felt there were many entertainment elements, such as music selections featuring a DJ. (Basketball 3×3)”

“Because the speed and intensity became widely known to the general public through this Olympics (Basketball 3×3, Skateboarding).”

“It looks dangerous, but it’s so amazing you can’t imitate it, so it’s fun to watch with peace of mind—like watching pantomime (BMX).”

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Here as well, many members answered “skateboarding.”

Many members were also paying attention to the future momentum of new Olympic events this time, such as Basketball 3×3, Sport Climbing, and BMX.

When a sport becomes an Olympic event or wins a medal, it naturally becomes a topic of conversation—but ensuring that attention carries over to what comes next is an important point in PR activities.

Personally, I was deeply moved by the women’s basketball team winning its first medal. As a sport that was one of the reasons I entered the sports industry, I am truly happy to see it gaining momentum.

What did you think, everyone?

Some of the comments highlighted here may lead to future interviews. Please look forward to more survey projects that gather uniquely individual responses from members of SUNNY SIDE UP!