A Year to Go for Olympic Games Paris 2024! Don’t Miss our Hakumon Athletes Shining Globally

Kenta Nishimoto (Credits：JTEKT Stingers）

BWF World Championships 2023

Badminton Player: Kenta NISHIMOTO

From August 21st to 27th, BWF World Championships 2023 was held at Copenhagen, Denmark, and a badminton player, Kenta Nishimoto (graduated from the Faculty of Law, Chuo University in 2017, currently belonging to JTEKT Stingers) have made it to the quarterfinal. Nishimoto won a championship at Spain Masters 2023 which was held this April, and he won the second victory in the tour since the Japan Open in September 2022. Nishimoto was the 16th place finisher at the BWF World Championships 2022 and he surely did built upon the accomplishments to make a great leap forward.

Left: Masahiro Sekita (Credits: FIELD OF DREAMS), Middle: Yuki Ishikawa, Right: Shoma Tomita (Credits: Toray Arrows)

Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship 2023

Volleyball Players; Masahiro SEKITA, Yuki ISHIKAWA, Shoma TOMITA

The 22nd Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship was held in Urmia, Iran, from August 19th to 26th, and the men’s volleyball Japan national team won the championship for the first time in three competitions. Three athletes who are graduates of Chuo University, Yuki Ishikawa (graduated from the Faculty of Law in 2018, currently belonging to Power Volley Milano), Masahiro Sekita (graduated from the Faculty of Law in 2016, currently belonging to JTEKT STINGS), Shoma Tomita (graduated from the Faculty of Letters in 2020, currently belonging to Toray Arrows) participated the Championship. The national team beat the Iran team, previous and the prior to last one champion, in straight-sets largely contributing to the Japan’s championship. At the FIVB Volleyball Nations League held in July, the japan team stood on the World Championship’s podium for the first time in 46 years. Followed by the winning of this Championship and without losing the momentum, the Japan team will challenge to FIVB volleyball elimination games for Olympics Games Paris starting from September 30th.

Left: Shota Iizuka (Credits:Mizuno), Right: Rino Goshima (Credits: SHISEIDO RUNNING CLUB)

BUDAPEST 2023 World Athletics Championship

Athletes: Shota IIZUKA, Rino GOSHIMA

The World Athletics Championship 2023 was held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19th to 27th, with two Chuo University’s alumni athletes, Shota Iizuka (graduated from the Faculty of Law in 2014, currently belonging to Mizuno) and Rino Goshima (graduated from Faculty of Economics in 2020, currently belonging to Shiseido) achieving the results of the 7th place in Men 200m semifinal game and 20th place in Women 10000m race, respectively. Iizuka has participated in the World Athletics Championships for five times in total. After his fourth time semifinal game was over, he commented that “I think I was able to run with my own style. I will keep challenging to get myself revenge!” On the other hand, the second time participant, Goshima commented that “I will do my best to run faster”. They both promised to keep pushing themselves ahead in the future.

Shunsuke Imamura

2023 Track Cycling World Championships

Racer: Shunsuke IMAMURA

From August 3rd to 9th, 2023 Track Cycling World Championships was held at Glasgow, Scotland, and Chuo University’s alumni athlete, Shunsuke Imamura (graduated from the Faculty of Law in 2020, currently belonging to Bridgestone Cycle Corporation) won a bronze medal in Men Omnium. Nobody has brought medals home in Japan before in Men Omnium which makes Imamura’s achievement remarkable. When he won 6th prize last year, he commented that “I will do my best to receive people’s support and accomplish a splendid kickoff in the year 2023, as it is a year of elimination races for Olympic Games Paris.” At the Nations Cup 2023 held from February to April, Imamura won 8th prize in Omnium, and 5th prize in Madison, as well as at the Asian Track Championships in June, he won gold medals in Team Pursuit and Madison, plus a silver medal in Sprint. What came next was his winning of a historic first bronze medal. Imamura is a man of his word achieving splendid results. His participation in Olympic Games Paris absolutely came closer.

Left: Misaki Emura (Japanese Fencing Federation/Augusto Bizzi/FIE, Right: Yuka Ueno (ⒸJapanese Fencing Federation/Augusto Bizzi/FIE）

World Championships in Fencing 2023

Fencers: Misaki EMURA, Yuka UENO

From July 22nd to 30th, World Championships in Fencing was held at Milano, Italy, with Chuo University’s alumni athlete Misaki Emura (graduated from the Faculty of Law in 2021, currently belonging to TACHIHI Holdings) accomplishing the second straight victory in the Women Individual Sabre. This achievement is noteworthy as it is a historic first in Japan among both men and women, Yuka Ueno, currently a senior at the Faculty of Law won 3rd prize in Women Group Fleuret. Both players flew around the world to participate in World Cups or Grand Prix in Season 2023. At the Asian Fencing Championships in June, Emura won 3rd prize in Women Group Sabre and Ueno won 1st prize in Women Group Fleuret. Emura and Ueno are making a great efforts to win twice in a row tickets for Olympic Games Paris,

Nagisa Ikemoto (Credits: Kyodo News)

World Aquatics Championships - Fukuoka 2023

Swimmer: Nagisa IKEMOTO

World Aquatics Championships 2023 was held in Fukuoka from July 23rd to 30th with Chuo University’s student Nagisa IKEMOTO (Faculty of Law) winning 8th prize in Women Relay 4x100m and 7th prize in Mixed Relay 4x100m.