OLYMPICS/ Kitaguchi grabs javelin gold after heated debate with Czech coach

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

August 11,phoenix suns vs lakers match player stats 2024 at 15:23 JST

• Share
• Tweet list

• Print

Haruka Kitaguchi holds the Hinomaru flag after winning the women’s javelin throw at the Stade de France on Aug. 10. (Hikaru Uchida)

PARIS--Haruka Kitaguchi became the first female athlete from Japan to capture an Olympic gold medal in track and field events except for marathon when she won the javelin throw at the Paris Games.

The 26-year-old was an early gold medal favorite after winning the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year.

Still, her victory at the Stade de France on Aug. 10 came after recent setbacks and some tough exchanges with her long-time Czech coach, David Sekerak.

Kitaguchi, who has been training in the Czech Republic under Sekerak for more than five years, clashed with him over training methods earlier this year.

One night in mid-May, she submitted a 16-point request, written on three sheets of A4-size paper, to the coach at the National Training Center in Tokyo.

Initially, someone familiar with German interpreted her words, but Kitaguchi got into a hot debate with Sekerak in the Czech language. She eventually broke down in tears.

At the end of the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, the two hugged each other and pledged to go all-out for the Paris Olympics.

Kitaguchi’s winning streak since July last year ended at 11 when she finished as runner-up at an international competition in June.

She ended up in fourth place at the Diamond League track and field event in July.

In Paris, however, Kitaguchi comfortably went through the preliminary round with her first throw of 62.58 meters on Aug. 7.

After winning the Aug. 10 finals with a throw of 65.80 meters, her personal best this season, Kitaguchi firmly shook hands with Sekerak at the spectators stand.

Her gold is the first medal a Japanese woman won in an Olympic throwing event.

“There were times when I thought I would not be able to work harder anymore, but now I am relieved,” Kitaguchi said.

When she was in elementary school, Kitaguchi’s after-school schedule was filled with all sorts of lessons: swimming, badminton, gymnastics, piano, English conversation and a cram school.

Kitaguchi continued swimming and badminton in her junior high school years but joined the track and field club at Asahikawa Higashi High School in Hokkaido.

She started javelin throwing under Masami Matsuhashi, the club’s coach, and became the best in the event among high school students in Hokkaido about two months later.

Matsuhashi said Kitaguchi had exceptionally strong and flexible shoulders and that her experience with badminton enabled her to throw a javelin smoothly.

Kitaguchi fondly remembers her days at the high school track and field club.

“I have been able to continue competing thanks to Mr. Matsuhashi and my friends at the time. I am truly grateful,” she said.

• ·【松阪競輪】きょうの注目は５Ｒ高橋和也～Ｇ３・初日
• ·壇蜜、敬老の日に自身の現状吐露「元気で長生きって、かなり難しい」「１年の３０％以上を入退院に費やし」
• ·【広島】新井監督がＤｅＮＡ・三浦監督に謝罪「申し訳ない」前夜に相手正捕手が死球骨折／一問一答
• ·壇蜜、敬老の日に自身の現状吐露「元気で長生きって、かなり難しい」「１年の３０％以上を入退院に費やし」
• ·国民民主党・玉木雄一郎代表、生出演で政策論に終始…ＴＯＫＹＯ　ＭＸ「堀潤　Ｌｉｖｅ　Ｊｕｎｃｔｉｏｎ」
• ·アニメ「天久鷹央の推理カルテ」来年1月放送、天久役は佐倉綾音　制作はproject No.9（動画あり / コメントあり）
• ·【巨人】浅野翔吾「ヨッシャー」プロ初５番で初犠打と二塁打　未経験打順は４番と９番のみに
• ·水森かおり、岩手「山田祭り」で女性として初めて神輿担ぐ号令掛ける「大感激です」
• ·「チェリまほ」特別編集版メインビジュアルで指輪がキラリ、本予告には新規カット入り（コメントあり / 動画あり）
• ·TVアニメ「帝乃三姉妹は案外、チョロい。」制作はP.A.WORKS、2025年に放送（コメントあり / 動画あり）
• ·【阪神】大竹耕太郎が涙の２年連続２ケタ１０勝目　試合後の囲み取材で号泣「今年は無理だろと言われてきたけど…」
• ·大の里が９連勝　若元春を圧倒　寄り倒しで勝つ
• ·スタン・ハンセンが４２年前に客席に投げ入れたテンガロンハット、驚がくの鑑定額にファン歓喜
• ·【ロッテ】前日に危険球退場の佐々木朗希　試合前に西武・野村大に謝罪…付き添った黒木投手コーチ「申し訳ない思いがあったので」
• ·【阪神】６回に２点先取　前川右京の犠飛で先取点＆パスボールの間に追加点　
• ·【阪神】岡田彰布監督、好守に決勝犠飛の前川右京を絶賛「何とかしてくれると思ってました」…一問一答