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THE GAMES IN NUMBERS1,00635EVENTS801 MEN205WOMENDesigned by Kazumi Yagi, a curved line cast in relief runs down the middle of the obverse, representing both the soft snow and the hard ice of the Olympic Winter Games while also bringing to mind notions of peace and serenity. Ikko Tanaka’s reverse design bears the epigraph “XI Olympic Winter Games, Sapporo ’72” in English and Japanese as well as the three components of the emblem.MEDALSConceived by eminent Japanese graphic designer Kazumasa Nagai, the emblem for the Olympic Winter Games Sapporo 1972 consisted of three distinct elements. In the uppermost section is the Rising Sun, the symbol of Japan and the centrepiece of its national flag; the middle contains a snowflake design that also resembles the coat of arms of an ancient Japanese dynasty; while the Olympic rings and the inscription “Sapporo ’72” complete the emblem.EMBLEMPicturedTorchbearer Hideki Takada runs up the steps to light the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremony35NOCsATHLETES3-13FEBRUARYOLYMPIC FLASHBACKOLYMPIC REVIEW 69