For our last Olympics show we’re talking to our reporting team on the ground in Japan: Brett Larner and Mika Tokairin are a husband & wife reporting duo who cover running and triathlon—and race themselves.
They’ve been doing some interesting work in English and Japanese during these Games, so they can give us the on-the-ground scoop here on how it’s going on Japan, what the crowds and reception in Tokyo are like, and how the triathlon races went down in person. Plus, we talk some about why running is so popular in Japan and what we can learn from making it a spectator sport, and how triathlon has grown over the years there. There were some audio issues, but stick with us, the insight they have is worth it.
You can also check out all their stories from the Tokyo Olympics here:
The Hottest Ticket in Tokyo? Olympic Triathlon
The (Bizarre, Uncomfortable, Precarious) Life of Being An Olympic Athlete in Tokyo
How Tokyo Fixed Its Olympic Open Water Problem (Hopefully)
How Japanese Corporations Bet Big on Pro Triathletes
The Land of the Rising Sun: Triathlon's Unique Role in Japan
And first, Laura Siddall and I answer the two big questions coming out of the Olympics: Was mixed relay’s debut a success; Can Kristian Blummenfelt win the Olympics and Kona in the same year?
