Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the send-off event for the Japanese National Team of the Sochi 2014 XXII Olympic Winter Games held in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"I would like to offer my congratulations to the athletes named to the Japanese Olympic Team. I am sure that becoming an Olympian is a dream shared by all athletes who dedicate themselves to sports. So much discipline, daily training, and continuous efforts must have gone into being named to the Olympic Team. I would like to once again express my respect and admiration for your efforts.
When I think of the winter Olympics, I think of the Sapporo Olympics. At the Sapporo Olympics, the gold, silver, and bronze medals were all won by the so-called 'Hinomaru Air Squadron' (a trio of Japanese ski jumpers) and I was glued to the TV. At the time, everyone was cheering for them. So much so that even the announcer of NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation), which makes it a principle to maintain impartiality, by a slip of the tongue, said before a non-Japanese ski jumper was about to jump, 'This jumper won't pose any problems; we should be fine.' Mr. Kasai, a ski jumper, was born that very year, in 1972. Saying he was born in 1972 makes him sound young - but he is in fact already 41 years old. It is truly as if he was born to succeed in ski jumping. I hope he will do well indeed as a star among people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. The youngest athlete on the Japanese National Team is snowboarder, Mr. Hirano, at 15 years old. I hope this team will harness its wide range of strengths, spanning the ages of 15 to 41. This is the first Japanese National Team in which the number of female athletes surpassed the number of male athletes, so I hope the men will do well too.
You pursue your sports carrying the dreams of many young people in Japan, and your performance gives dreams and strength to many Japanese people. During the Nagano Olympics, I was a Diet member, and right at that time my pre-existing illness worsened and I was hospitalized. That is when speed skater, Mr. Shimizu, clinched the gold medal, and I too was very inspired. I remember thinking, 'I will give it my best one more time.' Today, many people have gathered here to cheer for the national team. In 2020, the Olympics and Paralympics will come to Tokyo once again. At the Sochi Olympics, I hope you will be able to put the fruits of all your training on full display, and produce great results by harnessing the dreams, hopes, and cheers of all the Japanese people to fuel your efforts.
I wish you all the best."