Shuzo Matsuoka has been appointed as the TV Asahi main Caster for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which will be held in two Italian cities in February 2026. He will serve as the main Caster for the station's Olympic coverage for 12 consecutive Games (including summer and winter) since the 2004 Athens Olympics.
It was also announced that Hirodo Ayumi, a former freelance announcer for ABC TV, will be co-hosting the sports corner of "Hodo Station" (Monday to Friday, 10 p.m.) with Matsuoka. This will be Hirodo's first time serving as an Olympic Caster.
Matsuoka commented, "To me, the Olympics are the 'Olympics for everyone.' I feel it is my mission to fully support the Japanese athletes, cheer on athletes from all over the world, and convey to everyone in Japan how serious the athletes are. For the athletes, the Olympics is a stage on which they put their lives on the line. I will support them with all my might and convey that to the people of Japan."
Hirodo said, "When I watched the ski jumping at the Nagano Olympics in 1998 on TV, even though I was just an elementary school student at the time, I will never forget the cheers and excitement I felt when the gold medal was won. I am sure that the cheers coming from all over the world at this year's Games will make the athletes' challenges shine even brighter! The cold winter air and the enthusiasm of the spectators... I am truly looking forward to sharing that contrast with everyone and the exciting moments of the Olympics."
It was also announced that "Apollodorus" by the popular rock band Mrs. Green Apple, which was used as the "TV Asahi 2024 Sports Cheer Song" to spice up the Paris Olympics broadcast last year, will continue to be used in the broadcast of this year's Games. Vocalist Motoki Omori sent a message saying, "I hope that the prayer to Apollodorus, which was written with so much feeling, will shower even a little bit of power on the athletes."
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be held from February 6th to 22nd, 2026. There will be 116 events in eight sports, including the new sport of skimo (mountain skiing).
