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

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

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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.