A retirement ceremony for local masters track and field legend Shoji Tomihisa, 105, was held May 13 at his usual training ground at Miyoshi Sports Park Field in Miyoshi, Hiroshima. Tomihisa began competing in athletics at age 97, setting a Japanese national record 16.98 for 60 m in the men's 100~104 age group at the 2017 Chugoku Masters Track and Field meet.
Last year Tomihisa was the oldest person in Hiroshima selected to run as a torchbearer in the Tokyo Olympics torch relay. Due to the coronavirus pandemic the relay on public roads was canceled, and while he did take part in related ceremonies his run was ultimately canceled. Tomihisa recently took up the shot put, but in light of his fading physical strength he made the decision to retire from competition.
Around 30 members of the Shoji Tomihisa Booster Club attended the retirement ceremony. After receiving a bouquet of flowers from them Tomihisa in turn gave them a colored paper placard on which he had written the characters for the word 'gratitude.' "I would consider myself very happy if I had extended what we know as the limits of what is possible by a single step, or even half a step," he said. "Even though I'm leaving the world of competition, I'm still full of memories of the races in my past. Recalling them will be a source of pleasure for the rest of my life."
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translated by Brett Larner
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