"I Want to Walk Into That Future Together" - Yuko Arimori on Her Ambitions as First Woman to Lead JAAF

In June Yuko Arimori, a native of Okayama, was named head of the JAAF. We talked to her about her vision as the new leader of the JAAF, her outlook for the future, and her plans for developing the next generation.

"Through my work in athletics I want to help reiterate that sport is a necessity for both individuals and society, that it inspires people, brings them together, and helps them grow from the ground up," she says. Now 58, Arimori is not only the first woman to take the top position in the JAAF bureaucracy but also its first Olympian to do so. "Honestly, I never thought I'd be in a position to take on a role like this."

Arimori won medals in the marathon at both the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She hopes that her own experience at that level can help inform the next generation. "It's going to take a lot of hard work to help the next generation achieve the dreams and goals that we weren't able to," she says. "Development is an area in which we especially need to keep working. I want to walk into that future together. I feel like I'm now in a position to do exactly that."

Arimori has also served as special event ambassador for the Okayama Marathon since 2015. Even with the change in her circumstances, this year she'll still be helping bring the joy of the marathon to the people in her hometown of Okayama. "The marathon brings the people of Okayama together and gives than an energy," she says. "In my opinion the most important thing about the Okayama Marathon is the inspiration it brings to everyone."

Asked about the future of athletics in Okayama, Arimori says, "For me personally, Okayama was my starting point, needless to say. I want to pass on what I learned and developed here, and would like the sport to continue being an important presence in the minds of everyone in Okayama."

Arimori's term as head of the JAAF lasts 2 years, and she intends to spend it focusing on the future. "I want to bring people together through the sport of athletics, on a personal level, a social level and a global level," she says. "I want to work closely with other to promote the significance, meaning and potential that the sport can have as something that helps motivate people to live, society to thrive, and nations to seek peace."

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