ASIA / PACIFIC
April 20, 2015
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 3
Golden Oldies: Aging athletes in Japan turn back the clock
CENTENARIAN SWIMMER. One-hundred-year-old Japanese
swimmer Mieko Nagaoka, right, reacts after successfully swimming
1,500 meters at a masters swimming competition in Matsuyama, western
Japan. Nagaoka became the first woman to complete a 1,500-meter
freestyle swim in the 100 to 104 age category. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)
By Jim Armstrong
AP Sports Writer
OKYO — Earlier this month, 48-year-old
Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura broke his
own record as the J-League’s oldest scorer with a
goal for second division club Yokohama FC.
Not to be outdone, 100-year-old Mieko Nagaoka became
the first woman to complete a 1,500-meter freestyle swim
in the 100 to 104 age category.
In a country that prides itself on longevity and a
gung-ho spirit, an increasing number of aging athletes in
Japan are turning back the clock while breaking some
world records in the process.
Japan is aging at a faster pace than any other developed
country and also has the longest life-expectancy of 86.2
years, according to the World Health Organization.
The combination of the two is producing some
impressive athletic feats.
Japanese professional baseball player Masahiro
Yamamoto is attempting this season to become the oldest
pitcher on either side of the Pacific to win a game.
It’s an honor currently held by American Jamie Moyer,
who at the age of 49 years and 180 days, became the oldest
winning pitcher in Major League Baseball with the
Colorado Rockies in 2012. Entering his 29th season as a
pro, all with the Chunichi Dragons, Yamamoto turns 50
on August 11.
“It’s an exceptional example of dedication to your craft,
being able to pitch professionally at his age,” said
American Trey Hillman, who managed in Japan from
2003-2007. “It does shock me that anyone can do that with
all the years of wear and tear on the arm.”
Yamamoto, currently rehabbing from a knee injury,
T
became the oldest pitcher in Japanese baseball to win a
game last season, at 49 years and 25 days, when he
pitched five scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over the
Hanshin Tigers on September 5.
The veteran left-hander says inspiring people of his
generation helps keep him motivated.
“I deal with a lot of aches and pains and there are days I
don’t want to get out of bed,” Yamamoto said in an
interview at the Japan National Press Club. “But if I can
be an inspiration to people of my generation, that keeps
me going.”
Ski jumper Noriaki Kasai, who is 42, became the oldest
World Cup winner in history when he finished first at an
event at Ruka, Finland, on November 29.
Kasai has been on the global circuit since 1989. He has
appeared at seven Winter Olympics, most recently
winning a large hill individual silver medal at Sochi last
year.
Kasai holds the records for most individual starts (463),
team starts (49), and the most seasons performing in the
World Cup (26).
Tennis player Kimiko Date-Krumm, 44, has won more
than 200 tournament matches. She came out of
retirement in 2008 and became the oldest player to beat a
Top 10 player when she defeated Samantha Stosur in
2010 at age 40.
As impressive as these feats are, none of them can
match Nagaoka.
The centenarian swimmer finished in what is now a
world-record time of 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 54 seconds,
according to the Japan Masters Swimming Association.
Eugene, Oregon, to host 2021 world athletics championships
BEIJING (AP) — The International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF) has awarded the 2021 world
athletics championships to Eugene, Oregon, the first time
the event will be held in the United States.
The IAAF said the decision, which bypassed the usual
bidding process, was driven by the popularity of track and
field in the American market.
It said the financial support offered by the governor of
Oregon and the United States Olympic Committee, as
well as NBC’s commitment to produce and broadcast the
event, led to the decision.
“In granting the championships to Eugene, the IAAF
Council have made a clear choice on a strategic decision
that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity
that may never arise again,” IAAF president Lamine
Diack said in a statement.
While cities usually compete to hold such events, the
IAAF also awarded the 2007 world championships to
Osaka, Japan without opening it to bidding.
Diack said Eugene offered access to a key market for
athletics and would further the sport’s global develop-
ment.
Eugene’s bid last November to host the 2019 world
championships was not successful. But the city renewed
its lobbying for the 2021 edition over recent months with a
fresh proposal to the IAAF.
The leader of that effort, Vin Lananna, said the IAAF
would not regret its decision.
“We promise to deliver an outstanding championships
for the sport of track and field in America and around the
world,” Lananna said.
The announcement came during the second half of the
IAAF Council meeting in Beijing, the host city of this
year’s world championships.
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