Koike:
My career as an athlete was relatively smooth until my second year at university, and I didn’t experience any serious injuries or troubles. But in my third and fourth years, I suffered a spate of injuries. In particular, an injury that I incurred in my fourth year prevented me from returning to the athletic ground for a long time, threatening my career as an athlete. I thought that if I gave my utmost but still could not generate the desired results, I should retire from track and field. That was why I desperately wanted to generate the desired results at any cost. At the same time, however, I decided that it would be impossible to do everything on my own to achieve my target. Until that time, I had done everything alone, but I thought that the best option would be to work with a coach. There were only three months left before the All Japan Inter University Track & Field Championships to be held in September of my fourth year. Under guidance from my coach who worked exclusively with me, I engaged in rehab and training. Consequently, I was able to achieve a victory. By allowing myself to depend on others, I was able to overcome my difficulty.

Tada:
Like in Mr. Koike’s case, my coach has also been extremely significant. Although I’ve never suffered any serious injuries, I experienced a slump when I was in my fourth year of university. At university, I somehow tried to pull myself out of the slump on my own. Now that I’ve begun to work together with my present coach after graduating from university, the situation has changed a lot. Even if I feel that I’m running very well, I’m actually not, seen objectively. Accepting advice from someone other than myself has improved my running performance. There’s no absolutely correct answer in track and field, but I’ve successfully got out of the slump by listening to advice and opinions from someone other than myself, namely my coach, and mingling them with my own ideas.

Ito:
I tore the ligament of my right knee just before the Women’s 15-player Rugby World Cup in 2017. It was such a serious injury that it took about one year for me to recover completely and return to the field. While undergoing rehabilitation, I keenly realized that I was supported by so many people, including my teammates, coaches, family members and supporters. I was determined to definitely make a comeback for them. The support and backup I received from the people around me enabled me to recover from the injury. I’m now happy that I can play rugby. When I can please the people around me by demonstrating my best performance, it encourages me to strive harder and stimulates my motivation.

Tada:
Mr. Koike works hard by strategically thinking of what to do. But I’d rather depend on my feelings about running. I guess almost all athletes must have felt acute feelings when running very well, and this is what I emphasize.

Koike:
I think what Mr. Tada is saying is pretty standard in track and field. For athletes, the feelings at their best are truly important. The only difference between us is that I try to verbally express the feelings, while he doesn’t. My daily training has been organized to connect the “feelings” with “speed” as a numerical result. A good example is the feeling you have when you are able to reach a certain speed with the power 5% less than before.

Tada:
He’s talking about the condition whereby you can place your body under control without using unnecessary power. If your body moves more than expected, this means that your “feelings” are not acute enough. The “feelings” of athletes are, in a way, super feelings. Mr. Koike, you were the third Japanese athlete to break the 10-second barrier and run in the 9-second range. How were your “feelings” when you did that?

Koike:
At that time, my condition was so good that I used unnecessary power and this is what I still regret. In other words, I couldn’t control myself. As a result, even though I led the pack until the 70-m mark, I slowed down and ultimately could not win a medal. You know, the 100 m is an ultimate form of mental sports, and the experience made me keenly realize that I need to stay calm until the end. In addition, the media was excited that I had broken the 10-second barrier, but I’d like to state that a barrier is only a barrier as long as you think of it as such, and if you don’t, it is no longer a barrier. I feel that 10 seconds is no longer a barrier.

Koike:
To generate the desired results, the environment is important. The Sumitomo Electric Group has generously provided the training environment that I requested and promised to provide me with support. I feel truly grateful for these points. At the same time, I feel the advantage of belonging to the company as an employee. Even when there are no special events, such as a pep rally or an encouragement ceremony, athletes feel at ease that they can belong to somewhere and have some place in Japan to return to after completing an overseas training program or tour. Moreover, words I receive from other employees are truly encouraging. Many of them say, not “Do your best!” or “We have great expectations of you,” but “I enjoyed watching you run” and “Your performance gave me a lot of energy.” I’m happy that they enjoy sports, and these comments stimulate my motivation to work harder.

Tada:
I joined the company in 2019 as a new employee, and I was nervous at first. When a competition approaches, however, everybody supports me and cares about my training. I’m simply moved that I can gain so much support at the company. All the more for this reason, I would like to repay the favor of everyone who supports me, by producing the desired results.

Ito:
I agree. Like Mr. Tada, I joined Sumitomo Wiring Systems in 2019, immediately before recovering from a serious injury and being selected for the national team. Having returned to the national team, I need to join a spate of intensive training camps, which prevent me from working at the company on a daily basis. When I go to the company, however, I’m encouraged by coworkers who say “I watched your match.” Every time I return to the headquarters in Yokkaichi, I feel warm. When a match was held in Suzuka, a city near the headquarters, the venue was filled with employees from Sumitomo Wiring Systems. I’d like to repay them for their support by producing favorable results.

Koike:
I think the Sumitomo Electric Group is distinctive in that it provides support for athletes simply because all the members of the corporate group love and enjoy sports. Sports are one of the subjects taught at school, in the form of PE, but they are originally leisure activities, meaning that the basic focus should be on enjoyment. The atmosphere of enjoying sports is felt in the Sumitomo Electric Group, and I feel that this is very good for athletes.

Tada:
I also love running, and my focus is on enjoying running. It goes without saying that I need to produce the desired results, but I feel that my spirit of enjoying sports is the same as what Mr. Koike described, namely, it comes from the atmosphere of the Sumitomo Electric Group. I believe that Chairman Matsumoto, an earnest supporter of athletes like us, also enjoys sports.

Ito:
Since Japan is the host country, it has already been decided that the Japanese women’s rugby team will compete in the Olympic Games. My immediate target is to be selected for the national team. While working hard toward this end, I need to contribute to increasing the level of the women’s rugby team of Japan so that we can catch up as close as possible to the strongest teams around the world. I will do my best at the Tokyo Olympic Games to win a medal.

Tada:
The track and field athletes representing Japan will be selected in June, with the selection standards for the 100 m being a running time of less than 10.05 seconds and finishing within third place in the Japan National Championships. My current target is to satisfy the standards and to compete in the games as a runner representing Japan. If selected, I will strive to advance to the 100 m finals and win a medal in the 4 x 100 m relay.

Koike:
Like Mr. Tada, I’m also aiming to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games, but at the same time, I’m looking further into the future. I’d like to delight and astonish the audience and make them shout “Is this real?” by exceeding their expectations. I would also like to place expectations on my own results. I’ll work hard to increase my level by setting my target to not only advance to the 100 m finals but also to go on further and win a medal.