Among the equestrians of the Tokyo Olympics, the informal players of the Japanese national team of dressage were announced, and three people who will participate in the Olympics for the first time were selected.
Dressage is an event in which the accuracy and beauty of horse steps are competed in a rectangular dressage.
Japan has secured a host country frame "3" for each item of equestrian, and the Japan Equestrian Federation has three representatives of individuals and groups of dressage based on the results of the selection meeting held in Belgium this month. We selected players and announced on the 10th.
Hiroyuki Kitahara (49), Kazuki Sado (36), and Shingo Hayashi (36) were selected for the first time in the Olympics.
Minako Furuoka, Japan national team coach of dressage, said, "I think it was difficult for the players to cancel the tournament with the new Corona. All three have a lot of experience in the world tournament and the Asian tournament, and they are mentally stronger. I'm coming. I want to aim for a prize in a group at the Olympics. I want you to see the performance of the human and horse together. "
Hiroyuki Kitahara "I'm happy and relieved"
Hiroyuki Kitahara is 49 years old from Tokyo.
This will be my first time to participate in the Olympics.
In addition to contributing to winning the silver medal as a member of the group at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, he has won the All Japan Dressage Championship for the third consecutive time since 2004.
Aiming to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, I have been practicing and participating in competitions based in Germany for three years.
Kitahara said, "I'm happy and relieved because I've been aiming for it. I'd like to have a peak in the actual performance and make adjustments aiming for the maximum performance that the horse has. I want to show you. "
Kazuki Sado "Showing what you have accumulated so far"
Kazuki Sado is 36 years old from Kyoto prefecture.
This will be my first time to participate in the Olympics.
I rode a horse for the first time at the age of 5, and after graduating from university, I belonged to the JRA = Japan Racing Association, and then started dressage in earnest.
He has been based in the Netherlands since 2014, participated in the World Championships held in the United States in 2018, and won a gold medal as a member of the group at the Jakarta Asian Games, and has been active in international competitions.
Sado said, "I haven't realized it yet, but I want to work on training with the awareness of Olympic athletes. I will show off what I have accumulated so far and think," Is there any Japanese acting like this? " I want you to do it. I want to do a good performance so that many people can see the horses in the wake of the Olympics. "
Shingo Hayashi "Big stage I'm looking forward to it now"
Shingo Hayashi is 36 years old from Hokkaido. This will be my first time to participate in the Olympics.
Because my aunt worked at a horse riding club, I rode a horse for the first time at the age of three.
Currently based in Germany, he has won the All Japan Dressage Championship three times and won a silver medal as a member of the group at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
Hayashi said, "Since the selection has just finished, I think I'll feel it little by little. I think that the first Olympics will be held in my own country, so there is pressure, but I and the horses are the type who can exert more power on the big stage. So I'm looking forward to it from now on. I want to prepare for better performance than ever before. "