Takahito Ichikawa was in 5th place and Keiji Okamoto was in 8th place in the Beijing Paralympic Games, Snowboard, and Men's Snowboard Cross, where the two first-timers won the prize.
Starting from the quarterfinals on the 7th, four people will slide all at once on a course with obstacles such as humps, curves, and jumping hills, and the top two people in each group will advance to the next round. Was done up to.
At the age of 22, Ichikawa, who participated in the Paralympics for the first time, amputated his left leg in a car accident and became a prosthesis from under his knee.
At the age of 30, he gained about 10 kilograms in the last four years, accelerated to the middle of the quarterfinals on the 7th, moved up to 2nd place in the group to finish, and proceeded to the semifinals. I did.
In the semi-finals, while the four players were in a melee battle, they couldn't overtake the preceding player, saying that "there was a part that was lost" due to bargaining such as slipping lines, and ended up in 4th place in that group and missed the final.
Ichikawa finished at the top of the ranking match and finished 5th.
In addition, Okamoto, a former professional snowboarder who participated in the Paralympics for the first time, struggled to follow the course with the players competing in the semi-finals and missed the group's 4th place and advance to the finals.
Okamoto advanced to the ranking match and was 8th overall.
On the other hand, Shinji Tabuchi, who was 40 years old in his first appearance, was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The gold medal was Matty Surhamari from Finland, the silver medal was Garrett Geros from the United States, and the bronze medal was Ben Tadhope from Australia.
Ichikawa "Hot, moving and regrettable stage"
Ichikawa said, "I didn't think that the stage once every four years was such a hot, moving and disappointing stage," and said about the semi-final run, "I caught up with the previous player. Sometimes I should have changed the sliding line or applied the brakes, but I was really disappointed because I was at a loss. "
Okamoto "The best I enjoyed"
Okamoto looked back on his first appearance at the Paralympics, saying, "It was super fun, it was great" after finishing the run of the ranking match.
Regarding the semi-final run, he said, "I was supposed to be able to get inside the course at the start and get out before, but I had to bite desperately because the outside players took the lead."
On the other hand, in the quarter-finals, they skated with Tabuchi, who is from the same Hyogo prefecture and is 40 years old, and after the race, they hugged each other and praised each other.
About Tabuchi, he said, "I'm happy and very proud that I've been with him for a long time because he's the same age and hometown."
Tabuchi "The best life to fight with Okamoto"
Tabuchi, who slipped in the same group as Okamoto in the quarter-finals and lost in 3rd place, said, "I thought I would do my best because I was in charge of holding down the French players by planning a strategy with Okamoto." ..
On top of that, he said that he skated in the same group as former professional snowboarder Okamoto, who said he was longing for it. I was talking.
He said to the Banked Slalom on the 12th, "I'm good at it, but everyone around me is good, so I want to fight with all my strength."
Ichikawa Achieve 5th place without losing concentration until the end
Ichikawa, whose trademark is a floral pattern, did not lose his concentration until the end of the Paralympic Games, where he made his first appearance on the recommendation, and won the 5th place.
At the age of 22, he amputated his left leg in a car accident and became a prosthesis from under his knee. After the accident, Ichikawa started snowboarding in earnest.
While working as an instructor in a snowboarding class, he slipped in between and worked hard to improve his strength and flexibility.
Ichikawa, who has a cheerful personality and a smile and is a mood maker of the Japanese national team, never reached the podium at the international tournament last season, and at the very end of this tournament, he was recommended to join the national team.
The issue is mental, and I analyze that it will be impossible to see the surroundings in this game.
"To get the most out of my strength," said Ichikawa, starting from the World Championships in January, calming his feelings by spreading his hands to the side of his face and widening his horizons before the start. I've been.
Taking advantage of his judo physique until high school, he gained about 10 kilograms from four years ago to ski faster.
The course of this tournament, which has many straight lines and makes it easier for heavier athletes to ride at speed, was a tailwind for Ichikawa.
However, although he missed the final and finished at the top of the ranking match, the result was regrettable.
Next, we will have a smiling flower at the Banked Slalom on the 12th of this month.