The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games captivated the world.
Toyota’s athletes numbered 179 across both Games, racking up a total of 90 medals (36 gold, 24 silver, 30 bronze).
In the leadup to Paris, Chairman Akio Toyoda spoke to the competitors—both as an athlete (Morizo) and as the team’s watchful guardian—telling them to “Go and win!”
The athletes responded with outstanding efforts. Meanwhile, Toyota faced a momentous decision before the Games.
The agreement that Toyota signed in 2015 to become a worldwide partner of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee ends in 2024. On episode five of Voice-Only Toyota Times, Akio discusses his reasons for not extending the partnership.
With his strong passion for sports, Akio is committed to the ideal of putting people and athletes first.
In September, at the national dealer meeting that brought together dealership representatives from around the United States, Chairman Toyoda announced new support for Toyota’s athletes.
He concluded with “How about another round of applause for Team Toyota!” On the podcast, host Yuta Tomikawa shares snippets from the speech and delves deeper into the details.
To the athletes who hate losing: “Go and win”
Tomikawa
Hello Toyota Times listeners, I’m Yuta Tomikawa. This is episode five of Voice-Only Toyota Times News. Chairman Akio Toyoda is joining me for another unscripted chat. Welcome Akio.
Toyoda
Hello everyone.
Tomikawa
Thank you for being here. Let’s get straight into it, starting with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which recently drew to a close.
To recap, Japanese athletes won a total of 45 Olympic medals—20 gold, 12 silver, and 13 bronze. This was the country’s highest total and the most golds at an overseas Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, the Paralympians brought home 14 gold, 10 silver, and 17 bronze, surpassing the gold medal haul from Tokyo and securing a total of 41 medals. Amid all that excitement, at Toyota we were also following another group: our Toyota athletes from around the world.
Toyota currently supports 277 athletes worldwide, of which 179 competed in Paris. Those numbers alone are impressive.
Toyoda
That’s true. Makes you wonder where we would rank as a country.
Tomikawa
The results were also outstanding, with 36 gold, 24 silver, and 30 bronze for a total of 90 medals across the Olympics and Paralympics. In simple terms, our Toyota athletes won more medals overall than Japan.
These numbers alone show how much the Toyota athletes added to the Olympic and Paralympic excitement in Paris, but beyond the medal count, we also enjoyed watching the showdowns between Global Team Toyota Athletes.
Akio, you are something of a guardian for our Toyota athletes, aren’t you?
Toyoda
We call them GTTA, right?
Tomikawa
Global Team Toyota Athletes.
Toyoda
Since my time as president, I’ve been urging us to become a “best-in-town” company.
And these best-in-town athletes each have their local communities cheering them on.
GTTA compete in a huge range of events, not only the mainstream or popular sports. They have won many medals in Tokyo and at these Games, so that is what stands out.
But even though, like a parent on sports day, I tell them to go out there and win, it’s not about getting onto the awards podium.
More than that, I’m watching the process and the effort that leads there. When it comes to winning medals, luck also plays a part.
I think all our GTTA are putting in the effort, and I want to help them make the most of that hard work. Ability may be limited, but you can always put in more effort. Our number one goal is for people to get behind these athletes.
The media is always inclined to talk about medal tallies, but that’s certainly not my expectation of the GTTA.
At the same time, athletes hate to lose. That’s why, when they compete, I tell them, “Go and win.”
If you take that out of context, it seems like I’m only praising those who win medals, but in fact, the opposite is true. I hope that listeners will understand and endorse that and get behind our athletes.
Tomikawa
Coming from someone who likewise hates to lose, those are inspiring words.
Toyoda
When speaking to athletes, less is more.
I think support is best offered in the most straightforward language possible. That’s why I ended up going with “Go and win.”
Tomikawa
I see. You are an athlete yourself, and having been on the national (hockey) team, I’m sure you understand their position.
Toyoda
In my case, there was no awards podium, and it’s not a mainstream sport. In that sense, I think it was a minor pursuit.
Even so, that doesn’t mean you aren’t working hard because you are. So, as the GTTA guardian, I want to be fair in supporting all athletes, no matter how minor or major the sport.
Tomikawa
As we’ll hear later on, the athletes keenly understand how you feel, and I think that’s why they respond the way they do. Let’s look forward to hearing about it.
Announcement of continued support for Toyota athletes worldwide
Tomikawa
Toyota initially signed on as a worldwide partner of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) in 2015. These partnerships are limited to one company per industry, and Toyota was selected when the IOC set up a mobility category.
The agreement spanned ten years, from 2015 through to Paris 2024.
Toyota recently held its U.S. national dealer meeting, which is, to put it simply, a chance to thank the dealers who sell our cars. At the event, you made the following statement.
We’ll play a recording of the actual speech, but since it is in English, I will briefly explain the details afterward. Please listen.
Toyoda
What matters most is not sales records but the opportunity to help make people’s lives better, to help them achieve their dreams.
This is the main reason we became the mobility sponsor of the Olympics & Paralympics in 2018.
As well as the sponsor of over 250 Olympic and Paralympic athletes around the world.
Now, as you may know, we have decided not to renew our sponsorship with the IOC after Paris.
Because honestly, I am not sure they are truly focused on putting people first.
For me, the Olympics should simply be about watching athletes from all walks of life with all types of challenges achieve their impossible.
Tomikawa
The speech then featured a video. You always emphasize working “for someone other than ourselves,” and this Olympic and Paralympic sponsorship and the support for over 250 athletes truly embraced that idea of making life easier for others and contributing to someone else’s dream.
However, in the speech, you also mentioned that Toyota has decided not to renew the Olympic and Paralympic sponsor agreement.
Instead of listening to the entire speech again, I would like to ask you: what prompted the decision?
Toyoda
It’s difficult to sum up in a few words, but even before we became an Olympic sponsor, I always wondered how they could choose just a single company in the mobility sector.
What I mean is that the auto industry is the backbone of many countries. In Paris, you have the likes of Stellantis and Renault or Hyundai and Kia in South Korea. China also has many companies.
Given the broad industry’s base, one might dare say that the auto industry is the nation.
I wondered whether Toyota was capable of doing that worldwide for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but when we shared our vision, the IOC was eager to work together on building and supporting the future, so we decided to try.
Tomikawa
The IOC’s President Bach said that we share the same commitment to sustainable growth.
Toyoda
However, in some respects, we sensed a gap between that starting point and the everyday reality.
In the lead-up to Tokyo, on each occasion, we had to talk with carmakers in the host countries, and then only Tokyo turned out as it did. Above all, in recent years, many Olympic and Paralympic Games have been held in Asia, and we have found the timing questionable, both in terms of season and daily schedules.
As everyone is aware, the previous Tokyo Games all those decades ago began on October 10, which became Sports Day.
Those beautiful autumn days offer perfect conditions for a sporting event. Then, this time, it was like, “August, really?” With finals in the middle of the night?
Tomikawa
Timed to suit the U.S., where many sponsors are based.
Toyoda
And since Tokyo was held without spectators, I tried to cheer on the GTTA via Toyota Times, like a parent cheering on his kids at a school sports day event.
After all, for athletes from other countries, coming to Japan meant competing away from home. But since this is where Toyota is from, I wanted to make the GTTA feel at home and to support each athlete. When I asked to do that on Toyota Times, we weren’t able to.
Tomikawa
At first, we couldn’t.
Toyoda
I met with Mr. Bach to negotiate in person at least three times.
I told him that I just wanted to cheer on my family when they competed. I wanted them to feel that they were at home, even if they represented other countries. And I wanted all the local people who support them to see the GTTA in action. Eventually, we received permission.
That allowed us to explain the rules of less mainstream sports on Toyota Times.
Yet, as I said in my speech, I always wondered if they were focused on putting people or athletes first. That’s what it comes down to.
It became more politically tinged, and I constantly questioned whether this was best for the athletes. That’s why we chose to stop after Paris, as originally agreed.
Tomikawa
I see. You wrapped everything up in your speech by saying, “For me, the Olympics should simply be about watching athletes from all walks of life with all types of challenges achieve their impossible.”
Toyoda
Yes, I believe that.
Tomikawa
But there was actually more to the speech we heard earlier. You invited the American Toyota athletes up on stage and revealed a certain piece of news for the first time.
To their great surprise, you announced that Toyota will continue supporting its athletes worldwide.
Let’s listen to the words that Akio shared with these athletes:
Toyoda
Unfortunately, since Toyota will no longer be a sponsor of the Olympics going forward, this also means we can no longer officially sponsor our Olympic and Paralympic Team Toyota athletes.
However, I have a special surprise for you today. Are you ready?
I have decided that Toyota will continue to provide the same financial support to you and all our Team Toyota athletes around the world for as long as you remain active Olympians and Paralympians.
How does that sound? In addition, we will also provide financial support to the International Paralympic Committee through our Toyota Mobility Foundation to help increase opportunities for para-athletes both on and off the field and assist in the development of new technology and equipment to support their efforts.
So, on behalf of all of us here, thank you for your partnership, and we look forward to cheering you on in the future!
How about another round of applause for Team Toyota?
Akio’s commitment to ‘People First’
Tomikawa
It was a very moving speech.
Toyoda
It’s nice to see it from this side (of the camera).
Tomikawa
Different from being up on stage?
Toyoda
On stage, I could only see the athletes.
Tomikawa
Aside from the athletes, the assembled dealers were also moved to tears…
Toyoda
I agonized over where, when, and how to convey our decision to end the partnership. It had been finalized before the Paralympics in Paris.
Tomikawa
The agreement was for ten years.
Toyoda
But I worried how breaking such news during the Olympic and Paralympic Games would affect the athletes.
Tomikawa
It would no doubt add anxiety.
Toyoda
But I didn’t think it was good to remain silent for long, either.
Originally, I hadn’t planned on attending the dealer meeting. I didn’t go last year either—that’s more of a president’s duty.
But I have always supported our athletes. Amy Purdy (American para-snowboarder, actress, and model) and others asked if I could speak in person, so despite all the difficulties, we managed to make it work, and I was able to go.
In the end, watching this now, I think I was able to send the right message to the right people at the right time.
Tomikawa
To sum it up, you explained that Toyota athletes worldwide will continue to receive support, including off-the-field assistance in developing equipment for para-athletes.
To say it was “emotional” doesn’t begin to describe the tearful mood.
Toyoda
I think there was an initial disappointment, and then the message that things would continue hit home.
You need to tell the facts as they are, but it really tormented me after we made the decision.
On top of that, the head of Toyota in America is Jack Hollis, a former major leaguer.
Having been a ballplayer himself, I’m sure his feelings overlap more closely with the athletes.
I received some messages of extreme disappointment, and I really agonized over what I could do. This was the result.
It’s not a matter of cost by any means.
I wanted to figure out the best way to ensure we were putting people first. After listening to the views and opinions of many different people, I feel that we ultimately managed to find a good way out.
Tomikawa
You explained the decision to sustain support, but given that Toyota will not continue its Olympic and Paralympic sponsorship agreement, could you provide specific details of what that will entail?
Toyoda
Olympic and Paralympic support comes under the sponsorship agreement. In terms of marketing, for example, we will no longer use the Olympic logo, and we will no longer provide vehicles for the Games.
However, our support for athletes goes beyond just the Olympic period—we help them every day of the four years in between.
That’s quite a difficult task. Being a best-in-town company, many people have athletes that they want to support.
Financial support is also essential for them to keep doing what they have been doing.
Of course, they have been providing hands-on support, but even that requires financial support. I began by explaining that such assistance would remain the same, and I think that reassured everyone more than anything.
Tomikawa
In your speech, you also mentioned a support scheme through the Toyota Mobility Foundation. This is something the TMF is already doing, isn’t it?
Toyoda
Paralympians, in particular, are superhuman. For them, competing is a collaborative effort between the individual and their equipment.
We are a monozukuri company. That means we can provide equipment support. We do what we can, but when something proves too difficult for Toyota to handle, the foundation offers a way to engage many different people.
Since I am also chairman at TMF, I made the proposal not as a substitute for Toyota but to ensure sustainability.
Our equipment development and other activities have also been done through the Mobility Foundation.
We have assisted people who make prosthetic legs and given medals to those who provide regular support at the Special Olympics. I think these are worthwhile efforts.
They will be an ongoing part of the Mobility Foundation’s activities. As a result, I think we can continue to provide support in a way that puts people and athletes first.
Tomikawa
And you will continue to play the guardian role?
Toyoda
That’s right.
Tomikawa
Akio, thank you for today.
Toyoda
Thank you.
Source: https://toyotatimes.jp/