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

Masatora Kawano

Graduated from Gotemba Minami High School and Toyo University. He has become a member of Asahi Kasei Corporation since 2021. He is the Japanese record holder for the 50km race walk (3:36:45, 2019), and set a new world record (2:21:47) in October 2024 in the 35km race walk and has been appointed as the Japan representative for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. In the 50km race walk at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he placed 6th in harsh conditions. At the World Athletics Championships Oregon 22, he won a silver medal in the 35km event and a bronze medal at the 2023 Budapest Games. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, he placed eighth in the mixed relay paired with Kumiko Okada. With his stable results and indomitable spirit, he is attracting attention as a top runner in the race-walking world.

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Tamaki Ito

Deaf Beach Volleyball

Tamaki Ito

She has congenital hearing loss and has been attending a school for the deaf since the third year in elementary school. She graduated from the Tokyo Metropolitan Central School for the Deaf and is currently studying at Daito Bunka University. She started playing indoor volleyball in junior high school and later switched to beach volleyball. Paired with her high school classmate Karin Hori, she consecutively won the All Japan Deaf Beach Volleyball Championship in 2023 and 2024, demonstrating her top-class ability in Japan. She finished 8th in the World Championships and was the runner-up in the International Friendly Tournament in Tanoura and has also achieved good results in international tournaments. She was the runner-up at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics Japan National Team Selection Tournament held in April this year. She will aim to win her first medal as a Japanese at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics which will be the first time to be held in Japan.

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Masatora Kawano, Track and field athlete | A race walking life that started from the bottom. To the top of the world again with “90% immersion” and “10% bird’s-eye view”

"I am definitely not cut out for this" - Masatora Kawano felt that way when he finished last in his first race walking competition in high school. However, when he was able to advance to the prefectural tournament, his life began to move in a big way. He has experienced World Athletics and the Olympics and set a new world record in October 2024 in the 35km race walk. The man who “started from the bottom” and rose to the top of the world is next looking ahead to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. We asked Masatora Kawano who describes the championships as a “battle stage” about his determination kept under his chest.

Ko Ochiai, Track and field athlete | The current position of his unprecedented challenges that began with the new Japanese record

Inter High School Championship in July 2024. Ko Ochiai, who was a third-year student at Shiga Gakuen High School at the time, set a new Japanese record of 1:44.80 in the men's 800m and made headlines. His impressive run, which was far from that of a high school student, broke the previous record by nearly one second, and had a vivid impact on the whole country.
The middle-distance runner aiming for the world chose the "Ggoat" athlete project for his next stage, led by General Manager Hiroaki Oyagi, who is a great leader in the Ekiden world.
What does the 18-year-old, who has embarked on an unprecedented challenge, feel now, and where is he looking at in the future? He talked about his reasons for entering Komazawa University and his strong desire to devote himself to the world.

Deaf Beach Volleyball Tamaki Ito | Ready to bring it on? Full of smiles? A “Cunning” smile shining on the beach

Beach volleyball with only two people guarding a court that is almost the same size as indoor volleyball. That's why it's also a sport where you have a chance to play an active role regardless of your height or physique. The athlete who jumped into the world of beach volleyball was Tamaki Ito. She started playing indoor volleyball in junior high school and later switched to beach volleyball. When I asked her the reason, I got a unique response from her saying, "Because indoor volleyball had 'too much time to spare'". Whether in an interview or on the court, her carefree expression that changes rapidly and bright smile is impressive. " So, what kind of stage is the Deaflympics for her who says that “I am finally on the starting line”?

Track and field athlete Hiroki Yanagita | Mindless, steady and consistent. The day when the man who cried in 0.005 seconds laughs at the world

Born into a track and field family, running has been a part of his life since childhood. From his blossoming talent, he has grown into one of the top sprinters in Japan and has begun to make his mark on the big stages such as the World Athletics Championships and the Olympics.
Contrary to his cheerful personality from the first impression, he has a calm and solid face who says, "I am a realistic type and do not set outlandish goals." "If I can qualify for the World Athletics Championships, I want to do my best in the semi-finals." When he said this, his unwavering determination and sincere desire for competition were alive in his heart.
We interviewed Hiroki Yanagita, who is taking on the world, about his encounter with track and field, his daily training, and his goals for the future.

Track and Field athlete, Asuka Terada | The most intense time of her life. Now, carving out the “final chapter” that she can be proud of

"Are you sure you're quitting?" Asuka Terada, a 35-year-old women's 100m hurdler, has heard such voice. Despite announcing her retirement from the front lines of competition in April this year, she continued to perform well in the Fuse Sprint (won in 12.85 seconds) and the Taiwan Open (second in 13.04 seconds) in June.
Still, her decision is unwavering. "Because I have a limited amount of time, I want to spend it intensely." After leaving track and field for a while, she returned to the sport in 2019 after getting married, going to school, having birth, and trying rugby. In the same year, she set the Japanese record (12.97 seconds) at the time and participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
We asked Terada, who has led such an eventful competitive life, about her thoughts on the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, which will be her final challenge.