Skip to main content

Deaflympic Athletes Meet With Governor Koike


Set to take part in the Deaflympics, the world's quadrennial main event for hearing-impaired athletes, members of the Japanese team appeared at Tokyo City Hall on July 5 to talk to Governor Yuriko Koike about their upcoming competition. Governor Koike spoke to them using sign language to express her support, with the athletes returning the distinctive sign for applause in thanks.

The Deaflympics begin July 18 in Samsun, Turkey with 108 Japanese athletes in 11 different sports competing. 18 members of the team appeared at Tokyo City Hall. Swimmer Ryutaro Ibara, 23, told Koike, "I want to make this an opportunity for people in Japan and around the world to better understand handicapped athletes. I will do my best to help lead the team on to further success at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Governor Koike commented, "I am making Tokyo a place where every athlete has the opportunity to deliver their best. Please bring home as many medals as you can."

Source article published in Asahi Newspaper 7/6/17
translated by Brett Larner
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox  for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...
82 comments
Read more

Akasaki 2nd, Maeda 9th - Berlin Marathon Japanese Results

photo © 2025 Victah Sailer/PhotoRun Even with a few withdrawals there was a massive group of Japanese athletes at the Berlin Marathon this year, most of the group that typically goes to the Chicago Marathon seeming to opt for Berlin instead. With men's winner Sebastian Sawe taking a shot at the world record, Akira Akasaki , Yuhei Urano and NR holder Kengo Suzuki sat back in a 3rd group targeting the JAAF's 2:06:30 standard for 2028 Olympic marathon trials qualification. The group held steady on that pace, quickly passing and leaving behind Hakone fan favorite Aoi Ota , who went out with a 14:26 opening 5 km only to finish in 2:14:02. Suzuki dropped off, but Akasaki and Urano were together through 30 km until Urano did the same. The top Japanese finisher in the Paris Olympics last year, from there Akasaki had what had to have been an incredibly fun last 12 km, picking faster people off one by one as he rolled on. Ultimately he made it all the way up to 2nd in a 2:06:15 PB. ...
2 comments
Read more

Watching Japanese Race Broadcasts Online

One option for watching Japanese races online from overseas is Keyhole TV .  The quality and reliability of the streaming varies, but it is usually at least watchable.  A paid premium key usually results in significantly better quality.  Go here or here  to get the Keyhole TV player, or just Google it to find up-to-date sites offering it. If you have downloaded Keyhole before, make sure you have the most recent version of the player for optimal performance.   Another option that looks promising is http://www.jpplayer.com/ This also looks good but takes time to set up so might be a better long-term option: http://www.nihonnamaterebi.com/ A list of these and other options: http://www.d-addicts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=73546 This site  sometimes has some channels not available elsewhere.    JRN also offers live English race commentary for some races via Twitter  @JRNLive . To use Keyhole, once you have downloaded, installed and o...
8 comments
Read more