Cross-country 41 years old Yoshihiro Nitta "To the last para" enthusiasm

Yoshihiro Nitta, a cross-country skier who won three gold medals at the Paralympics and faces the Beijing Paralympics as a culmination stage, practiced for the first time at the actual venue and said, "First of all, I will concentrate on giving my best performance. I want to do it, "he said with enthusiasm.

Nitta is a leading Japanese para-cross-country skier who has won three gold medals at the Paralympics in the past, and has announced that he will retire from active duty only this season with this tournament as the culmination stage.

Nitta, who entered the field yesterday, visited the venue "National Biathlon Center" on the 3rd, along with three other players who will participate in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

At the venue, while actually sliding on the course, we carefully checked the snow conditions and the characteristics of the course for the men's 20km classical on the 7th of this month, which is the main event.

After the first practice, Nitta said, "Because the wind is strong, there are places where snowdrifts will occur on the course and the gliding property will drop, so I would like to see how it will slide from now on. First of all, I will concentrate on giving the best performance myself. I want to do my best. The Para-Nordic team is not over in Beijing, so I hope I can talk to the players who follow me, "he said with enthusiasm.

At the venue, he revealed that he was called by a Ukrainian player, "In this situation, I had the impression that the players are concentrating on their performance, and what should I do now? I think I'm thinking and acting. "

On the other hand, Taiki Kawayoke, who is the cross-country ski representative and the flag bearer of the opening ceremony, also confirmed the feel of the snow at the venue with a light slide.

For the second Paralympic Games, Kawaki said, "I definitely want to do my best to stand on the podium beyond the results of the previous tournament."

Yurika Abe, who is from Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture, the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, said, "I am concentrating on the race during the race, but keep in mind on March 11th, based on the fact that there is an event to participate on the 11th of this month. , I want to do my best to give power to the people who support me on TV. I really feel that the local people in Yamada Town are supporting me in various ways. I want to use my full potential to race with good performance. "