Japan's rhythmic gymnastics team members display their gold medals from the group all-around final at the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships on August 23 in Rio de Janeiro. (©KYODO)
New sports success stories are authored each month. For instance, Japan excelled in the high-pressure environment of the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, August 23.
Led by two-time Olympian/captain Ayuka Suzuki, the team popularly known as Fairy Japan, shined on the big stage in the group all-around final. In doing so, Suzuki and her teammates won the world title with 55.550 points.
It was Japan's best-ever finish in the event at the world championships. The national team claimed silver in 1975 and in 2019.
On Saturday, host Brazil had 55.250 points to secure the silver, and bronze medalist Spain ended up with 54.750 points.
Japan's group all-around final performance consisted of two activities: a hoop and ball routine and a ribbon routine.
Along with veterans Suzuki and Rinako Inaki, world champion Fairy Japan also has four teenage members: Hisano Taguchi, Hatsune Miyoshi, Megumi Nishimoto and Natsumi Hanamura. Together, they had impressive scores in the hoop and ball routine (28.350 points, top total of all teams) and ribbon routine (27.200, second-highest) to earn the gold.
"I'm so happy. I think everyone's cheers and support gave us this gold medal, and I'm so thankful," Suzuki was quoted as saying by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
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Figure Skating
Japan Sweeps Singles Events at JGP Riga Cup
Reigning world junior champion Rio Nakata impressed at the season-opening ISU Junior Grand Prix Riga Cup, winning the title with a commanding performance on Saturday, August 23.
Nakata, 16, led after the short program in Latvia and also won the free skate, completing the two days with 264.94 points.
Canada's Grayson Long placed second with 221.71 points. Germany's Genrikh Gartung was third (210.01).
Also for Japan, Ryoto Mori competed. He placed fourth (206.51), a personal-best score.
In the women's event, Mei Okada triumphed in the short program and remained on top with her strong effort in the free skate on Friday, August 22. Okada had a winning score of 189.67.
It was the 15-year-old Okada's first victory in an international competition.
South Korea's Jiyu Huh was second with 186.55, while Switzerland's Elisabeth Dibbern claimed the bronze at 173.67.
Japan's Yo Takagi was in fourth after the short program, but struggled in her free skate (ninth overall). That dropped her to seventh in the final standings (170.17).
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Volleyball
Japan Rallies Past Ukraine at Women's World Championship
After dropping the first two games against Ukraine, Japan rebounded to win a five-set preliminary phase Pool H match at the 2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship on Monday, August 25. In Bangkok, Japan triumphed 25-27, 20-25, 25-20, 26-24, 15-11.
With the win, Japan improved to 2-0 at the 32-nation tournament. Ukraine slipped to 0-2.
Captain Mayu Ishikawa led Japan with 29 points and three blocks. Yoshino Sato contributed 24 points, Yukiko Wada had 12 and Haruyo Shimamura added 10.
Ishikawa and Sato combined for 48 attack points (aka kills).
"It was a full set, but I'm glad we won," Ishikawa said, according to NHK. "There were some good moments, but we also made a lot of mistakes. The start is important, so I want to do my best to get off to a good start in the next match against Serbia."
Outside hitter Oleksandra Milenko paced Ukraine with 26 points and 190-cm teammate Diana Meliushkyna had eight attack points and a match-best 11 blocks.
In its tourney opener on Saturday, August 23, Japan beat Cameroon 25-21, 25-17, 25-19.
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Golf
Saigo Places 3rd, Iwai 4th at CPKC Women's Open
Japanese LPGA Tour golfers Mao Saigo and Akie Iwai placed third and fourth, respectively, at the CPKC Women's Open on Sunday, August 24 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Canadian Brooke Henderson won the tournament with a four-round total of 15-under 269. Australia's Minjee Lee finished a stroke off the pace.
Saigo carded a 5-under 66 in the final round and completed the event with an 11-under 273.
"I was hitting the ball pretty well throughout the day so I had many birdie opportunities," Saigo told reporters.
She then said, "I was able to shoot five birdies and no bogeys, so it was a good day."
Rookie Iwai, winner of her first LPGA Tour tournament on August 17, opened with a 64 on Thursday, ending the day in first place. She shot a 69 in the second round and held the lead at the midway point. Iwai then shot a 72 in the third round before closing the weekend with a 2-under 69. That put her one stroke behind Saigo on the leaderboard.
"I had a great time playing," Iwai said, according to Kyodo News. "[Twin sister and fellow rookie] Chisato and my team came to cheer for me over the last two days. It made me want to try harder."
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Baseball
Ohtani on Pace to Surpass 150 Runs
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani broke an 0-for-10 hitting slump with a solo home run in the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres on Sunday night, August 24. The Dodgers won the series finale 8-2 at Petco Park.
It was Ohtani's National League-leading 45th homer of the season.
Reigning World Series champion LA and San Diego are tied for the NL West lead with identical 74-57 records.
Ohtani also leads the NL with 122 runs. And with the Dodgers still to play 31 games in the regular season, Ohtani remains on pace for an impressive run total.
Bill Arnold's Beyond The Box Score email newsletter highlighted Ohtani's unusually high number of runs scored in its latest edition (weekend of August 22-24).
"With 120 runs already under his belt, Shohei Ohtani looks like he's on track to become the 13th player since 1901 to score 150 or more in one season," the newsletter reported. "At his current pace, the Dodger superstar should finish with 152, the most since Jeff Bagwell scored 152 in 2000. The modern record is held by ― who else? ― Babe Ruth, who scored an astounding 177 times in 1921. Ruth also holds the record for the number of 150-plus-run seasons over a career: six."
And here's a little bit of baseball trivia to add context to the facts stated above: "The only other players to cross home plate at least 150 times in multiple years were Lou Gehrig and Chuck Klein, who each did it twice," Arnold's newsletter pointed out.
Ohtani scored a career-best 134 runs in 159 games in 2024.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
