Has Shohei Ohtani Participated in the Olympics?

The hullabaloo around Shohei Ohtani has not shown any possibility of settling since his deal with the LA Dodgers saw light. The 29-year-old has been facing the fans’ accolades for the last several seasons. But this season came as different as Shohei Ohtani made his entry into MLB history after grabbing the MVP title repeatedly. His incarnation into the hitting and pitching leaderboards also made him the sovereign on the move. Even previously, the lore had reached a lofty point that his native land expected to stand on occasion. 

In the Tokyo Olympics, several renowned and close ones wanted Shohei Ohtani to take up his native national color and participate in baseball. But that wasn’t the end of the discussion. 

Shohei Ohtani’s participation dilemma in the Tokyo Olympics 

Atsunori Inaba played the managerial role when Japan locked horns with the others in the baseball event of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. But except for being the tough nut manager, he also played with Shohei Ohtani when the latter was in his initial years in Japan’s baseball league. Memorizing that, Inaba gleefully added, “I asked Ohtani about how he handles American pitchers,” in an interview with Yahoo Sports. But that couldn’t bring Shotime into the baseball ring in that Olympics. Reportedly, he contributed to his club allegiance ‌and missed the Olympic session. 

Despite that, the locals didn’t stop loving their former Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighter on that occasion. Akari Sasaki, being one of those fans, claimed “He’s our hero,” to USA Today. Later Ohtani made the better use of chances when he was named in the ultimate team for his country. 

The immovable popularity and effects on the populace 

This year’s World Baseball Classic posed beautifully when the LoanDepot Park witnessed Shohei Ohtani pitching in his national color. The emphatic mood of the stadium never let it think that from whose side the 6’4″ wonder was playing. It was Japan that faced the USA that night, but Shohei Ohtani came out as the eclectic champion. However, that was the last big occasion Ohtani appeared for his country in the baseball arena. 

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However, that couldn’t outpace him taking the Olympic stand for Japan. In the wake of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, Yuzuru Hanyu made a big reveal on the local Babe Ruth. The two-time Olympic skating champion remarked, “To see an athlete who is exactly the same age do something no one has ever done in history is simply invigorating,”. Reportedly, Hanyu epitomized Ohtani’s comeback after his injury and used that for his motivation in the game. Now, at the onset of the Paris Olympics, these things might conjure to bring a new possibility. 

Watch this story: Young Shohei Ohtani’s Journey To Elite Hitting: Proving His Little League Coach Wrong