The Japan Athletics 20km Race Walking Championship, which also served as a selection for the Paris Olympics, was held in Kobe, and in the men's race, 25-year-old Muki Ikeda set a personal best time of 1 hour 16 minutes 51 seconds, just 15 seconds shy of the world record. I made a mark and won, and was selected to be a member of the Paris Olympics.
Who is Mukai Ikeda?
Muki Ikeda is a 25-year-old from Shizuoka Prefecture who won a silver medal in the men's 20km race walk at the Tokyo Olympics.
He is known for his calm racing style, which allows him to respond flexibly to developments, and he attracted attention when he won the individual championship at the 2018 World Team Championship.
He is competing at the world's top level with Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Toshikazu Yamanishi, and a year ago, he won the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, and together with Yamanishi, the gold medalist, he achieved a one-two finish among Japanese athletes.
Last year, when he finished 15th, he vowed to make a comeback from the 2023 World Championships, saying, ``There are some things I can't predict how things will turn out, but I'm not too concerned about the time, so I'm just focused on the rankings.'' I want to keep doing it," he said.
His previous personal best was 1 hour 17 minutes 25 seconds.