It's been three days since the men's 100-meter final of the Japan Championships in Athletics, which was a battle of unprecedented high-level players.

Shuhei Tada, who got both the title of No. 1 in Japan and the ticket for the Olympic Games for the first time, was attending the press conference of the informal player with a clear expression.


It is not well known that Tada fought a fierce battle with an enemy named Pressure until he got there.

Increasing tension

The eve of the final.

Tada, who broke through the semi-finals with plenty of time, was suffering alone in the hotel room.

I had nausea that I had never experienced before.



"I was nervous and I was nervous a few times. I was so nervous."



When I interviewed at the driving range one month before the tournament, "I got used to it every year, so I got used to it. I'm really not feeling the pressure. "


The exception was the one-shot race with an Olympic ticket.



About a week ago, I became more nervous, and even if I went to bed at night, I couldn't sleep until 1 or 2 in the middle of the night.



"Imagine a race plan before going to bed, and the scene comes to my mind and makes me nervous. I couldn't sleep because of too much adrenaline, so I was very tired mentally."

"Good condition" that spurred heavy pressure

On the contrary, the strong performance of this season was also in the form of hunting down Tada.

Since 2018, Tada hasn't been able to get the time he wants because he lost his starting balance and lost his balance.


However, this season, he made good use of the one-year postponement period to retrain his core, and in addition to the world-class start, the slowdown in the second half, which was an issue, was also improved.

In the race that took place in less than three weeks before the Japan Championships, he marked his personal best of 10 seconds 01 for the first time in four years.


The trainer kept the good condition, which was called "the best condition", and reached the top.

The stage of the dream Olympics was approaching to the point where it could be reached with a little reach.

Such a change in feelings created pressure that Tada had never felt before.



The staff of the Osaka Athletics Association, who has seen Tada up close, says:



"I think I might be able to go, I think I might win, so I'm going to get nervous. I'm originally a scary personality."



Even Ryota Yamagata, who has participated in the past two Olympic Games, is a player. A race that says, "I was the most nervous of all the Japanese championships so far."

All players were fighting their own pressure.

Anxiety on the thighs behind the scenes of the final

Actually, Tada was worried about his legs.


The tournament was in great shape, but my legs moved too much and I felt something was wrong with my right thigh.

In addition, the qualifying, the semi-finals and the race in a tense atmosphere where I couldn't make mistakes continued, and my body was stiff.



"The thighs were stretched, and if I made a slight mistake, it might have led to muscle strain. Before the final, I was worried because my legs were heavy."

The race of the final.

With the trainer's desperate care, I will return to the state and head up.

However, I couldn't get rid of my anxiety and could hardly run in the practice just before the race.



Anxiety about pressure and injury.


It was coach Shintaro Sato who saved Tada, who was losing sight of himself in front of Daiichi.

Two people who have been working on a three-legged race since 2019 aiming to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.


Coach Sato, who understood Tada's anxiety, said just one word.

Tada's switch is turned on with a word from the coach who came with the belief that



"it feels good, come on



."


Further support was the warm applause of my hometown Osaka.


Normally, the stadium can accommodate about 50,000 people, but due to the influence of the new Corona, the maximum number of spectators is 5,000, which is one tenth.

Moreover, I cannot speak out as an infection control measure.


The applause directed at the local hero that I heard was a sound that I could not easily hear due to the corona.

That was the best tailwind.

Prepared final

Tada who stood at the starting line.

All I had to do was run

"I was very anxious, but I ran with the feeling that I didn't care what happened to my legs. I was really



anxious." Tada, who overcame the pressure and anxiety about injury, won the championship.

In an interview I heard an hour after the race, he said:



"If there weren't any people around me, I think it would have been a pattern of holding myself, straying, and falling to the bottom again. I'm really supported by various people. With gratitude. It's full. ”At



the press conference on the 28th, Tada revealed that he had just rested and charged at his favorite cafe.

However, when it came to the tournament, the real intention spilled out, saying, "Mental was cut."



Next is the Tokyo Olympics held locally.


He set a clear goal of "advancing to the final at 100 meters and gold medal at 400 meters relay".

Will you jump out of the start with the applause from all over Japan and show you the Tada-like running that makes people around you surprised?


The men's 100 meters will be qualifying on July 31st and the semifinals and finals on August 1st.