Honan Maeda, who broke the Japanese record at the Osaka International Women's Marathon for the first time in 19 years, held a press conference on the 29th, one day after the race, and expressed her joy, saying, ``I'm happy that I was able to do my best and set a new record.''
[Click here for details] Honan Maeda breaks the Japanese record for the first time in 19 years, 2 hours 18 minutes 59 seconds
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The 27-year-old Maeda, who participated in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, ran aggressively from the middle of the Osaka International Women's Marathon held on the 28th, marking a time of 2 hours 18 minutes 59 seconds, and going on to compete at the Athens Olympics. Gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi's Japanese record was broken for the first time in 19 years.
Maeda said at a press conference in Osaka on the 29th, one day after the race, ``I received a lot of messages from friends and acquaintances. "I feel a sense of accomplishment," he said, expressing his joy.
After that, he reflected on the time after the Tokyo Olympics when he struggled with injuries, saying, ``It was a difficult time when I couldn't run, but I'm glad that what I continued to do led to results.''
Additionally, as a result of the race on the 28th, if no athlete runs faster than Maeda's Japanese record at the Nagoya Women's Marathon in March, Maeda will be selected as a representative for this summer's Paris Olympics. I just have to wait, so I'll just wait without thinking about it,'' he said of his feelings.
Looking ahead, he vowed to do even better, saying, ``I think I'll still be able to set new records.There is a gap in speed with other players from overseas, so I think it's all about how I can close it.''