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 Andrew MCKIRDY

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Andrew MCKIRDY
Andrew McKirdy is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His main beat is soccer, but he has also covered rugby, tennis, volleyball, golf and even tug-of-war. A native of the Scottish Borders, he has written for The Scotsman newspaper and organized filming for a program on Japanese soccer for ITV television.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 12, 2016
Japan takes fourth in rugby sevens
Japan failed to cap its astonishing run at the Rio Olympic rugby sevens tournament with a medal after losing to Fiji in the semifinals and South Africa in the bronze-medal match on Thursday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 12, 2016
World rugby bosses hail larger-than-life Olympic sevens tournament
World rugby chiefs have declared the sport's reintroduction to the Olympics a success after fans at Deodoro Stadium made Thursday's final day of the Rio 2016 competition a noisy and colorful affair.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 11, 2016
Uchimura successfully defends all-around title
Kohei Uchimura pulled off a stunning last-gasp victory to retain his men's all-around Olympic gymnastics title at the Rio Games on Wednesday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 11, 2016
World champ Hoshi settles for bronze in 200 butterfly
Natsumi Hoshi claimed a first swimming medal for Japan's women at the Rio Olympics with bronze in the 200-meter butterfly on Wednesday night.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 10, 2016
Sakai takes silver in 200 butterfly; Phelps claims 20th, 21st gold medals of career
Masato Sakai claimed silver after coming out of nowhere to almost deny Michael Phelps his 20th Olympic gold medal in the men's 200-meter butterfly at the Rio Games on Tuesday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 10, 2016
World champ Nagase settles for judo bronze on frustrating day for Japan
Japan endured a day of slim pickings on the Rio Olympic judo mat Tuesday as men's 81-kg world champion Takanori Nagase was forced to settle for bronze and Miku Tashiro missed out on a medal entirely in the women's 63-kg competition.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2016
Japan men's gymnastics team strikes gold over Russia, China
Japan captured the men's Olympic team all-around gymnastic gold medal it craved after pulling away from the competition in imperious fashion at the Rio Games on Monday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2016
Hagino struggles in 200m freestyle final, places seventh
Kosuke Hagino saw his bid for domination in the Rio Olympic pool grind to an abrupt halt when he finished seventh in the 200-meter freestyle final on Monday night.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2016
Former Sweden boss Lagerback warns Japan ahead of crunch Olympic clash
Former Sweden manager Lars Lagerback has warned Japan that his countrymen will bring skill as well as steel to their do-or-die Olympic soccer clash on Wednesday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2016
Ledecky sets record in 400 free; Phelps gets 19th gold
Katie Ledecky continued her assault on the Rio Olympics by annihilating the women's 400-meter freestyle world record to pick up her first gold medal of the games on Sunday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 8, 2016
Brazilians divided but upbeat as Olympics arrive
Rio de Janeiro's hosting of the 2016 Olympics has divided public opinion in Brazil, where political and economic crises have put the games under scrutiny like never before.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2016
Japan misses judo gold again as Ebinuma, Nakamura take bronze
Japan failed to claim judo gold at the Rio Olympics for the second straight day as Masashi Ebinuma and Masato Nakamura both had to settle for bronze medals on Sunday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2016
Hagino earns Japan’s first Rio Games gold with victory in 400-meter individual medley
Kosuke Hagino held off a late challenge from American Chase Kalisz to win Japan's first gold medal of the 2016 Rio Olympics in the men's 400-meter individual medley on Saturday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2016
Judoka Kondo wins Japan's first medal of Rio Games
Ami Kondo won Japan's first medal of the 2016 Rio Olympics when she beat Mongolia's Urantsetseg Munkhbat to claim bronze in the women's 48-kg judo competition on Saturday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2016
Nishikori thrills Rio crowd in Olympic opening victory
Kei Nishikori made himself an instant fan favorite with the Rio de Janeiro crowd after starting his Olympic campaign with a flamboyant 6-2, 6-4 win over Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Saturday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 6, 2016
Rio Olympics open with ceremony focused on environment
Rio de Janeiro opened South America's first-ever Olympic Games on Friday with a pared-down ceremony that put the environment to the forefront and celebrated Brazil's rich and diverse culture.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 6, 2016
Rugby chiefs expecting Japan-style boom after Rio Olympic sevens
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont believes the Rio Olympic sevens tournament can be the catalyst for emerging nations to follow Japan's lead and embrace the sport of rugby.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 5, 2016
Ready or not, the Rio Games set to begin
All eyes will turn to Rio de Janeiro on Friday when it opens South America's first Olympic Games against a backdrop of political and economic crises off the sporting field and doping scandals on it.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 5, 2016
Zen-focused Hagino ready to deliver Japan's first gold of Rio Games
Swim star Kosuke Hagino believes he is ready to end years of American Olympic dominance as he bids to get Japan off to a golden start at the Rio Games this weekend.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 4, 2016
Baseball set for return as IOC approves five sports for Tokyo Olympics
Japan will aim to win Olympic baseball gold on home soil after the sport was formally approved for inclusion at the 2020 Tokyo Games along with four other events on Wednesday.

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