ATHLETE

Meet the Athletes

Get to know the participating world-class athletes, and discover what makes each one of them superhuman.

Athletics athlete
Deaflympics athlete

Ryota Yamagata

Born in 1992 in Hiroshima Prefecture. Men's 100m Japanese record holder (9.95 seconds)
After graduating from Shudo Senior High School and Keio University, he joined Seiko Group Corporation in 2015. He was the first runner in the men's 4x100m relay at the Rio 2016, helping the team win the silver medal. As an individual, he is the fastest sprinter in the history of Japanese athletes at the Olympics. He served as the captain of the Japanese team at the Tokyo 2020.
His personal best of 9.95 seconds, set in June 2021, is still the fastest record in the Japanese men's 100m world, which is still unbeaten. He has recovered from a right knee injury and will run again at the Paris 2024 and the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

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Mio Okada

Born in Tokyo in 1997. Deaf Athletics Women’s 800m, 1500m, 1mile Japanese record holder. Graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Chuo School for the Deaf and Japan Women’s College of Physical Education. Belongs to Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd. Deaf from birth, she attended a school for the deaf until high school. She has loved running since she was a child and started running seriously in high school, joining the athletics club. In her first Deaflympics, she placed 6th in the 800m and 7th in the 1500m at the Samsung 2017. In her second appearance at the last edition of the Caxias do Sul 2022 Deaflympics, she won a long-sought medal by finishing third in the 1500m. She is one of the leaders in women's Deaf Athletics and is expected to perform well at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics.

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Mio Okada, Deaf Athletics – Aiming to win the gold medal by surpassing my college days.

With three Japanese records, Mio Okada leads the women's Deaf Athletics. At the Caxias do Sul 2022 Deaflympics, she won the bronze medal in the 1500m, but was unable to run in the 800m, the main event, because of the abstention of the Japanese team due to the coronavirus pandemic. We asked her to reflect on her life in athletics to date and her thoughts on 2025 as she aims to make her start on the start line over the next three years.

Ryota Yamagata, Athletics – “Fastest man in Japan” becomes strong again after “time of patience”

In the past few years, the Japanese men's 100m has been a battle of the best on the field, led by four athletes with personal bests in the 9-second range. Among them, Ryota Yamagata holds the Japanese record of 9.95 seconds. He has participated in the past three Olympic Games and was a member of the 4x100m relay at Rio 2016, contributing significantly to the silver medal win. Although he has had injuries since the Tokyo 2020 and has spent “time of patience", the "fastest man in Japan," who turns 32 this year, is still experiencing solid growth.

Rina Komokata, Deaf Tennis – One more title for the “Queen”

Rina Komokata won the singles title and the doubles second place in the Australian Open Deaf & Hard of Hearing Championships. On the day of the interview, she appeared at the site, standing a petite 154 cm tall and having a soft atmosphere, far from the "toughness" that one might associate with her performance. We asked her, who is a student currently attending Doshisha University, about her thoughts on tennis, student life, and the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, where she is expected to play an active role.

Yuma Yamamoto, Athletics – “I found a reason to work hard”, taking one more step forward with my late mother’s thoughts in my heart.

“To be honest, athletics wasn’t the best at that time“ Yuma Yamamoto, who competed in the women's 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, has a history of taking a break from athletics in her second year of college. However, feeling frustrated by the success of her peers and touched by the thoughts of her late mother, she regained her passion for competition. She has a different character from previous athletes. The athletics hope, loved by many fans, is now on a solid growth curve.

Ryuji Miura, Athletics – Life-Altering Encounter with the 3000m Steeplechase: Finding My Center as an Athlete and a Person

"My life changed when I met the 3000m steeplechase," says Ryuji Miura. At the age of 19, he competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he placed 7th, and in the Budapest 2023 World Championships, where he placed 6th, both times becoming the first Japanese to place in the event. At the age of 19, he competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he placed 7th, and at the Budapest 2023 World Championships, where he placed 6th, becoming the first Japanese to place in both events. What is the path that the 22-year-old has taken and what does the future hold for the world's top athlete?