Seven-time speed skating Olympian and Albertville 1992 bronze medallist Seiko Hashimoto along with seven players from Japan's women's ice hockey team - who have already qualified for next year's Winter Games - launched the "Nippon Call Project" app, which allows sports fans to share their voices with the nation's athletes by creating a song based on the "Nippon" cheers.

The songs will then be shared with Japan's athletes competing at Sochi 2014.

As well as the women's ice hockey team, these could include ski jumper Sara Takanashi, an Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympics champion who also helped Japan claim team gold at the 2013 World Championships, and figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu,, a 2012 World Championship bronze medallist.

Japan secured three silver and two bronze medals at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, which saw the nation place 20th on the overall medals table.

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