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Hagiwara Overcoming History of Injuries on Road to Comeback



2014 Incheon Asian Games women's 10000 m bronze medalist Ayumi Hagiwara (Toyota Jidoshokki) has finally emerged from a long, dark tunnel. Running her first half marathon in five years this February she broke her PB by one second. "I feel as though I've managed to get the hands moving a little on a watch that had stopped," she said, measuring her words thoughtfully.

Hagiwara graduated from Shizuoka's Tokoha Kikugawa H.S., joining the Uniqlo corporate team where she was coached by Hideo Suzuki who had previously led World Championships medalist Reiko Tosa to success in the marathon. With her Asian Games bronze and a run that helped the Japanese national team win the 2014 International Chiba Ekiden she quickly gained attention.

But when injury struck she was forced to cancel her planned marathon debut, and things started to fall apart. She had a disastrous run in the 10000 m at the 2016 National Championships and failed to make the Rio Olympic team. When her coach retired she switched to the Toyota Jidoshokki team in the spring of 2017, but the serial injuries continued. "One thing would hurt, then another, and I couldn't even tell what was what anymore," she said.

The ones who helped guide her onto the path out of the darkness were a pair of Olympians. Rio Olympics track runner Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) and marathoner Tomomi Tanaka (Daiichi Seimei) gave Hagiwara advice. "They've both gone through a lot more than I have," Hagiwara said. "I came to understand that I wasn't doing enough about it."

In a gritty performance Hagiwara took 3rd at February's National Corporate Half Marathon Championships, running a PB of 1:10:16. " Beaming with pleasure at the prospect of something long hoped-for now on the cusp of becoming reality, Hagiwara said, "That run was to help confirm that I'm ready to take on the marathon again in the future."

For the time being she'll focus on the 10000 m for the Tokyo Olympics. "I don't want to lose to the younger girls," she said. "Since I'm doing it, it goes without saying that I want to make the national team." Still only 26, Hagiwara's best years are yet to come.

source article:
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/20190304-OYT1T50090/
translated by Brett Larner

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