Harimoto Tomokazu interview: Paris 2024 goals, leading Japan, playing doubles with sister Miwa
The teenager, who has been challenging for titles at the top level in table tennis since he was 14, is ready to be Team Japan's figurehead after the retirement of Mizutani Jun and has big goals for the coming years.
Table Tennis
It takes great self-confidence to publicly declare that you want to become the first male athlete to win three medals at a single Olympic Games in table tennis – something only one other person has ever accomplished.
Of course, that self-confidence might be easy to come by when you're Harimoto Tomokazu, the Japanese teenage phenom who won his first ITTF World Tour title aged just 14.
That's exactly what Harimoto, now 19, has set out as his aim for next year's Olympic Games Paris 2024.
But that's not all.
In a recent interview with Olympics.com conducted by the ITTF, Harimoto – the current world number three with a career-high ranking of second – admitted he has his sights set on what many would argue is an even tougher goal: ending the People's Republic of China's stranglehold on the world number one position.
The current top-ranked paddler is Fan Zhendong, who sits more than 4000 ranking points ahead of Harimoto. Indeed, you need to go back to March 2018 (Germany's Timo Boll) to find the last time a Chinese athlete was not world number one.
"To be a world number one, I don't have that confidence yet, but I will give my all in every match, and hopefully will progress in the ranking until I'm number one."
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Harimoto balancing sport and studies through the years
In November 2022, Harimoto reached his career-best world ranking when he climbed to second behind Fan.
It was a development that had been a long time coming, with the Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture native being a mainstay and regular challenger at the top tour level since he was 14.
However, recent changes – graduating high school and beginning his university studies – provided Harimoto with a new focus, he shared.
"When I started university in April last year, my table tennis environment changed drastically. I worked hard at my sport and with support from many people, such as the national team coaches, and my family, who always supported me."
Finding a balance, he added, is easy as he has decided to put sport first.
"Table tennis is always my top priority," Harimoto explained of how he juggles his sporting career with his education. "When there are no competitions, I attend courses at the university and do assignments. I have a good balance.
"It's been six years since I began competing internationally in junior high, but I don't take anything for granted to be competing at this level."
Harimoto Tomokazu ready to lead Japan's table tennis team
Another turning point was the retirement of his two teammates from his home Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in 2021: Niwa Koki and Mizutani Jun.
Mizutani, in particular, had been the figurehead of the Japanese team due to his experience – a role Harimoto is now keen to step into after enjoying his first taste of it at the 2022 World Team Championships in Chengdu, China.
"I was top in Japan in the world rankings even before the Tokyo Olympics," Harimoto recalled. "But Mizutani-san's presence supported Team Japan hugely for sure. He won a gold medal in mixed doubles at the Olympics, and he's a great person.
"Now he has retired, there's no one I can rely on. Even though I'm younger, I have to lead Team Japan. I want to continue playing well leading the team like I did at the World Championships last year."
Harimoto knows nothing is guaranteed, not even his spot at Paris 2024 right now. "First things first, the minimum goal is to get there," he said.
However, there is no avoiding the topic: Harimoto wants to join the three-medals-in-one-Olympics club.
With the third event, mixed doubles, only added at Tokyo 2020, that club is an exclusive one – with just Japanese women's paddler Ito Mima (mixed doubles gold, team silver, and singles bronze at Tokyo 2020) having accomplished the feat.
"Once I qualify, I want to medal in all three events: singles, team, and mixed doubles," Harimoto affirmed.
"It would be great if hopefully at least one of them turns out to be a gold medal, and I will do my best to make it happen."
Harimoto finding a way to overcome Chinese opponents
Undoubtedly, one of Harimoto's biggest challenges – and that of every table tennis athlete – is overcoming the domination of Chinese paddlers.
Fan has been world number 1 for an unbroken period stretching back to April 2020, while Wang Chuqin, the legendary Ma Long, Liang Jingkun, and Lin Gaoyuan are all also in the top 10.
"They (Fan, Wang, and Ma) are the top three players in the world and beating them even once is very difficult," Harimoto acknowledged.
"Especially Fan Zhendong, who has many more ranking points and is way ahead of me. They are rivals, but they are at a different, higher level."
However, recent results have given Harimoto hope. "I beat him (Fan) once at the World Championships (in 2022)… but I have to do it more consistently, and work even harder.
"To be able to do so at a big stage like the Olympic Games, I have to keep working and prepare well."
And he's using past disappointments as fuel to motivate himself towards his big aims.
"The (2019) World Championships in Hungary and the Tokyo Olympics are two tournaments in which I couldn't get the result I wanted. The match where I lost to the Republic of Korea's An Jae-hyun in the last 16 at the World Championships in Hungary still frustrates me.
"Reflecting on the match, I feel that I can face any challenge. It's still disappointing. I want to get my revenge at the next big event."
Harimoto Tomokazu and his mixed doubles future: could sister Miwa be partner?
Harimoto's younger sister, Miwa, is fast rising through the ranks herself. While Tomokazu currently partners Hayata Hina in mixed doubles, the siblings recently teamed up at an event and took victory.
However, his older brother instincts also kick in. Knowing first-hand what it's like to be labelled a table tennis phenom at a young age, Tomokazu is understandably protective of Miwa.
"She will perform great and do more and more in the sport, and she'll receive all sorts of pressure," the older sibling noted. "But I want her to play her table tennis without any tension and with the freedom as she normally does."
And their recent title together at WTT Contender Tunis?
"I never thought we would win our first tournament together in Tunisia. We work well together and we make a good pair. But right now I'm aiming for the Paris Olympic Games with Hayata Hina."
Longer-term, however, it seems like a sibling mixed doubles pairing is not off the cards.
"I don't know if I'll even be in Los Angeles (2028); nobody knows who will be there. But, no matter who my partner is, I want to win gold at the Games in mixed doubles.
"If that happens to be with my sister, that would be great."