NUMBER ONE: The Japanese softball team celebrates victory after stunning
three-time world champions the United States 3-1 to clinch gold on August 21

The other three gold medals of the country were obtained in shooting, judo and badminton.

At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Japan made a record-breaking of 16 gold medals to surpass South Korea for the first time since 1988 and took the second place in Asia after China. In Beijing, Japan dispatched an unprecedented delegation of 576 people with the goal of winning at least 10 gold medals and more than 30 medals in total.

Before the Games, Japan had aimed at gold medals in judo, wrestling, swimming, gymnastics and track and field events. The country gained nothing in gymnastics or track and field events and under-performed in other events too. The final result for Japan was nine gold medals, six silver medals and 10 bronze medals, which ranked it eighth on the medal chart.

Judo used to be a big source for gold medals for Japan, but its judo team encountered very strong competitors and only took home four medals, two less than expected. Japan won two gold medals in wrestling at the Beijing Games, equaling that of the Athens Games in 2004.

Japanese swimming star Kosuke Kitajima successfully defended his Olympic crown with a new world record of 58.91 seconds in the men's 100 meters breaststroke at the Beijing Olympic Games on August 11. Later he set a world record in the men's 200 meters breaststroke on August 14.

Japan won nothing in track and field events, but its women's softball and football teams had more success. The softball team beat the United States, who were defending champions, to win the country's first gold medal in this event. The football team beat China in the quarterfinal match.

Japanese women's football team had demonstrated their strength to beat down the stronger Chinese team, and step into the world first-class football club.

The autheor is with the Policy and Law Department of the State General Administration of Sport