Japanese gymnast Mai Murakami quietly finished her qualifying rounds at the Tokyo Games on Sunday with almost no reporters waiting to talk to her. The day before, media swarmed Japan's men's team as they finished at the top of the pack.
Murakami, 24, and described by some sports watchers as possibly Japan's best-ever female gymnast, takes it all in her stride, acknowledging that superior performances by the men's team over the years - gold or silver in every Olympics since Athens 2004 - make the difference in public and media interest.
Japanese gymnastics watchers say that, with strong sponsorship backing both women's and men's teams, it comes down mainly to a question of star power - a lack of somebody to inspire girls to take up the sport. "There isn't such a role model for the women, so girls good in sports don't choose it - and with women's gymnastics, you really have to get going at a young age."She's already taken on a mentoring role, advising younger team mates on technique, and also providing emotional support. When another Japanese gymnast, Yuna Hiraiwa, wept after her performance on the uneven bars, Murakami embraced her and wiped her tears away.
"Since I made mistakes, I personally am rather regretful," she said, adding that tension created by an empty arena - with fans banned due to the coronavirus - had affected her.
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