Asuka Terada, a 100-meter hurdle for women, decided to "want to perform in the future" on behalf of the athletes at the online union ceremony of the Japanese athletics team for the Tokyo Olympics, which will start on the 23rd of this month. Said.
There are 65 men and women representing the track and field at the Tokyo Olympics, which is the second largest in history after the previous 1964 Tokyo Games.
The union ceremony was held online on the 15th, and Mitsugi Ogata, chairman of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, who is also the general manager of the Japan at the Olympics, gave a greeting.
In this, Chairman Ogata said, "In the midst of adversity, I believe in the Olympic Games and continue training, and I sincerely pay tribute to the athletes who have won the right to participate. I think we can bring hope and energy to those who are suffering from the pandemic inside. Let's connect the power of sports in the future, "he told the players.
After that, on behalf of the athletes, Terada, a female 100-meter hurdle who will face the Olympics while raising a 6-year-old daughter, made a decision based on the fact that it will be held in the Corona hurdles.
Terada said, "Last year, the situation changed completely and I continued to ask myself questions, but as a mother of one child, I realized that it is precious to work hard for many children and that I can enrich my life through sports. I wanted to keep telling you. This year's tournament was held without spectators, but with the support of many people through the media, I strongly want to perform a performance that will lead to the future. " talked.
He said, "We are a team. Let's all fight with all our strength, with the thoughts of the people who push our backs."
The Tokyo Olympics athletics will begin on July 30th, and 48 events will be held for 10 days until August 8th, the final day of the Games.