Olympics: Japan breaks new ground while playing to strengths in Paris

From the youthful sports of skateboarding and breaking to the more traditional Olympic pursuits of wrestling and fencing, Japan achieved virtually unprecedented success at the Paris Games.While it did not match its record number of gold and total medals set at the Tokyo Games three years ago, its haul was bigger in both categories than at any previous Olympics on foreign soil.With 20 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze, Japan finished behind only the United States and China on the medal table. The two Olympic powerhouses tied with 40 gold, but the Stars and Stripes ended up on top thanks to havin…READ FULL ARTICLE