One learns by watching, so the saying goes.
That’s exactly what Matsushima Sora did at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, where the young paddler was a reserve.
Matsushima, then 17, was fourth in the pecking order of Japanese men’s table tennis team, behind top-ranked Harimoto Tomokazu, Shinozuka Hiroto and Togami Shunsuke.
Even for a teenager who still had a lot to learn, it was not easy for Matsushima to swallow his pride and suck it up.
“I want to make sure I don’t forget the feeling,” Matsushima said during an interview with Olympics.com.
“I was with the team as an alternate for the Paris Olympics, which was a tricky position to be in to be honest. That said, I do think experiencing the Olympics and taking it all in was invaluable.
“Because of that, I’ve been able to use any frustration I had as motivation. It helped me win the All Japans, the (WTT) Contender Taiyuan.
For Matsushima Sora, right, he will have to find a way to get past his doubles partner Harimoto Tomokazu at some point.
After a difficult summer of playing spectator in France, Matsushima roared back upon returning home – especially at the All Japan Championships in January and the WTT Contender Taiyuan in April, which he won for his maiden tour title.
At the All Japans, Matsushima first beat Harimoto in the quarter-finals then Shinozuka in the final to lift the most coveted domestic trophy for his first time.
Matsushima, at 17 years and 272 days, became the third-youngest champion of all time, behind Harimoto (14 years, 208 days) and four-time Olympic medallist Mizutani Jun (17 years, 226 days).
Confidence booster? You can say that again.
“I love the big stage,” said Matsushima, who is currently No. 20 in the world, 16 places behind his doubles partner Harimoto, the top-ranked Japanese. Matsushima also pairs with Harimoto’s sister Miwa in mixed doubles.
“I don’t get nervous. I don’t really have a routine of any kind. All I do is just try to stay ready.
“Both Harimoto and Shinozuka are great competitors who played at the Paris Olympics, and I wanted to beat them on the big stage at some point. That it happened at the All Japan has really added to my self-esteem.
“I’m on a roll right now and I’m telling myself to never forget.”
Table tennis is a family business for Matsushima, who is from Kyoto. Both his parents played in the corporate league, and his younger brother as well as his two kid sisters play competitively.
The ultimate goal is for the Matsushima siblings to all play together at the Olympics. That will remain to be seen but first things first – LA28 for the elder Matsushima.
“I think time will fly by for the LA Games. I really need to take each and every year seriously so I can boost my rankings,” he said.
“I love my siblings; they’re adorable. I hope they continue to get better so we can compete at the same Olympics.”
