One year ago today, Japan wins gold medal to cap off baseball’s historic Olympic return in Tokyo

One year ago today, Japan wins gold medal to cap off baseball’s historic Olympic return in Tokyo
07/08/2022
“Baseball and softball have left their mark on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

A 2-0 Japan win over USA at Yokohama Stadium in baseball’s Tokyo 2020 Gold Medal Game, exactly one year ago today, was the cherry on the cake of baseball and softball’s historic and memorable Olympic return in Tokyo 2020.

Japan beat USA thanks to a shutout performance from the pitching staff and a solo home run by Munetaka Murakami. It was the first-ever Olympic gold medal for Japan, after claiming silver in Atlanta 1996, and bronze in Barcelona 1992 and Athens 2004. Japan became the fourth nation to win an Olympic gold medal, joining Cuba (1992, 1996, 2004), USA (2000) and Korea (2008).

The Gold Medal Game drew the biggest Host TV audience for a single sports event in the entire Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a sign of the passion for the game in Japan and across the Olympic Movement. With no fans allowed in the stands, a respectable crowd composed of volunteers, journalists and other sport’s athletes witnessed Japan’s victory over USA.

The 16-game Olympic baseball event opened on a high note. On 28 July, WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari welcomed the presidents of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee Seiko Hashimoto to the Azuma Baseball Stadium in Fukushima for the first celebrity pitch ahead of the opening game of the Olympic baseball tournament.

It was before a walkoff win for Japan in the opening game against the Dominican Republic, a team that returned to the Caribbean with the bronze medal, the first ever team sport medal in the county’s history.

The Dominican Republic defeated Korea in the bronze medal game and became the seventh nation/territory to win a medal in baseball at the Olympic Games, after Cuba, Japan, United States, Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei.

USA’s second baseman Eddy Alvarez was picked as USA’s flag bearers at the Closing Ceremony, after becoming just the sixth person to win a medal both in a Winter and Summer Olympic Games. Alvarez, who earned a silver medal in short track speed skating at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, went 5-for-20 and was named into the All-Olympic Baseball Team.

Tokyo 2020 also saw the historic Olympic debuts of Israel and Mexico in baseball. In their first Olympic appearance, both teams came up short of the medal games finishing in fifth and sixth place respectively.

After the Games, the Japanese National Baseball Team was named the Best Male Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The announcement was made at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Awards 2021 in Crete, Greece.

“My team and I can go back home knowing that our sport, our athletes and our movement, made invaluable contributions to the overall success of these unique Olympic Games,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. “From opening the Games’ competitions at the Azuma Baseball Stadium in Fukushima on 21 July with women’s softball, to Eddy Alverez becoming only the sixth Olympian to win medals at both a Winter and Summer Olympic Games, it’s safe to say that baseball and softball have left their mark on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”