Beijing Paralympics.
For the Nordic Japan national team, who participates in cross-country skiing and biathlon, wax the board to improve the skiing performance based on information such as the weather, snow quality, and player conditions of the day. The existence of "" supports the team.
Taiki Kawayoke, who won the gold medal in the men's 20km classical cross-country skiing on the 7th, was also adjusted by Waxman, who assumed that the temperature would rise during the race.
What is Waxman?
In Para-Nordic, where there are two competitions, cross-country skiing and biathlon, not only the skiing skills of the athletes, but also the ski wax applied to the surface of the ski that comes into contact with the snow is an important factor.
"Waxman" is responsible for this, and is responsible for deciding the wax to be applied to the players' boards.
Yuji Sato, who is the waxman of the Japanese national team, is a veteran of this road for more than 20 years.
Based on information such as the weather, snow quality, and player conditions of the day, we will apply some of the more than 100 types of wax to the skis in combination.
Then, using a special mold, a small groove called "structure" is made on the entire surface of the wax.
This is to improve drainage because the moisture on the surface of the snow makes it slippery when it touches the board, and it is said that there are dozens of types of this structure.
The technology for applying this wax is also advancing day by day, and waxmen from each country are competing.
Value "feel"
When checking the condition of the snow on that day, Mr. Sato always touches the snow with his bare hands and observes it carefully.
Is it artificial snow or natural snow, or is it a mixture of both?
It is said that you can capture the characteristics with the feeling of your hands, such as how much temperature the snow will start to melt during the race.
Furthermore, when actually applying wax to the board, the most important part is done with bare hands.
It is said that you will notice more details such as whether there is uneven coating by applying wax with your bare hands without using any equipment.
Mr. Sato revealed his commitment, "Athletes notice that they are not working on wax. I think it is important to put emotions or affection into them."
Experience points accumulated from the Olympics to the Paralympics
Mr. Sato used to be a waxman for the Japanese national team players who will participate in the Olympic Games.
He has been with the Japanese national team since 1999, and was in charge of waxing for Akito Watabe, who won the silver medal at the Nordic combined at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Mr. Sato, who moved to the Japanese national team of Para-Nordic from the last Pyeongchang tournament, points out that in Para-Nordic, it is necessary to use finer wax depending on the characteristics of each player's disability.
At the Pyeongchang tournament, Yoshihiro Nitta, a cross-country skier supported by Mr. Sato, won a gold medal.
Behind this is the existence of "data" that does not rely on intuition.
Mr. Sato records all the work contents in practice and games.
He says that he is deciding which wax to combine based on the data accumulated for more than 20 years.
Furthermore, by having a private weather company provide detailed information such as changes in temperature every 30 minutes, we are improving the accuracy of our work as a waxman.
Mr. Sato
"I make the best board so that the athletes can maximize their strength. The snow at the Beijing Paralympic Games is a mixture of artificial snow and natural snow, and it is difficult for the temperature to change significantly. I don't think it will reach the medal unless the wax engages, so I'd like to work together to do my best. "
Wax strategy behind the gold medal
On the 7th, when the cross-country skiing 20-kilometer classical race, in which Taiki Kawayoke won the gold medal, was held, Mr. Sato continued to make adjustments until the end, assuming that the temperature would rise during the race.
Before the race, Kawaki dared to slip on a wax plate that was too slippery and continued to collect information.
With that strategy in place, Kawaki won the gold medal.
Regarding this race, Mr. Sato said, "The grip wax that bites the snow firmly on the climb and the structure to improve the slip on the descent fit in, and it was a moving race that meshed with Kawaki's sharp slip." I told you.
Support from Japan
On the other hand, there are people from Japan who support Beijing players by providing information on the weather.
Weathernews, a private weather information company headquartered in Chiba City, has been providing information on predicting snow conditions on the course to the Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled since 2017, five years ago.
At the previous Beijing Games, we dispatched a person in charge to the site to predict changes in snow conditions from the data observed on the spot and provided useful information such as selecting wax to be applied to skis. The Beijing tournament is supported from within Japan due to the influence of the new coronavirus.
Specifically, the person in charge of the weather information company sends photos and videos such as the temperature in the local snow sent from the staff of the representative team, the state of the sky, and data such as the temperature provided by the tournament organizing committee. To analyze.
Based on that, the person in charge predicts the snow condition during the race and tells the day when the situation was similar.
Especially in this tournament, since artificial snow is used for the course, it is difficult to predict because the melting method is different from that of natural snow, and it is essential to exchange detailed information with the local national team. ..
Yoshitsuo Asada of the Weathernews Sports Meteorological Team said, "Athletes have been sacrificing various things for four years, so I would like to support them so that they can exert their strength without regret."