World Champ Sakurai Successfully Moves Up to 57kg, Upends Nanjo for 2nd National Title

Saturday, December 18, 2021 - 17:41 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (December 18) -- While winning a world title at a non-Olympic weight is a commendable accomplishment, Tsugumi SAKURAI knows it has its drawbacks in Olympic-obsessed Japan.

So less than three months after her triumph in Oslo, the 20-year-old made the move up to an Olympic division and knocked off one of its world medalists to establish herself as a contender for a ticket to Paris in 2024.

Sakurai, the world champion at women's 55kg, captured her second straight national title with a thrilling 5-2 victory in the 57kg final over two-time defending champion Sae NANJO at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"My objective is to win the title at the Paris Olympics, and as 55kg is not an Olympic weight, I moved up to 57kg so I could go to the Olympics," said the soft-spoken Sakurai, who clinched the victory over the world bronze medalist Nanjo with a 4-point takedown in the final seconds.

"This tournament for me -- of course I aimed to win the championship --but because I went up a weight, I went into it regarding myself as the challenger. The fact that I could still win the title makes me feel like I have grown."

Masako FURUICHI, the women's 72kg gold medalist from this year's World Championships in Oslo, dropped to the Olympic weight of 68kg only to suffer a stunning loss, while world bronze medalists Kensuke SHIMIZU and Nonoka OZAKI both stayed put and won second straight national titles -- Shimizu at Greco 63kg and Ozaki at women's 62kg.

In freestyle, Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI, who came up short in a bid to make the Tokyo Olympics at 57kg, made the final at 61kg but lost to a wrestler coached by the man who kept him off the team to Tokyo.

The victories by Sakurai and Ozaki come with a caveat, as they came in the absences of the Tokyo Olympic champions in their weight classes, sisters Risako and Yukako KAWAI, respectively. In fact, none of Japan's Tokyo medalists are taking part in the four-day tournament that is serving as the first of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships in Belgrade.

The winners earn tickets to the Asian Games in China next September, but in the race to Belgrade, will likely encounter the Olympians at the second world qualifier, the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in the spring.

Sakurai said that her triumph in Oslo provided validation that she could compete at the highest level, an ability of which she first provided a glimpse by winning the gold at the 2020 Klippan Lady with a victory over veteran Sofia MATTSON (SWE).

"I was able to see that my wrestling can be competitive on the world level, and that gave me a big boost in confidence," said Sakurai, who last year became the first-ever national champion at Ikuei University, a school only founded in 2018. "But even though I won a world title, I can't be satisfied just yet. I feel it gets me closer to achieving my goal of winning at the next Olympics, and if I keep working hard, I can get to the Olympics."

But somewhere along the path to Paris, she knows she has to get past Risako Kawai. At this point, Sakurai is unsure how she matches up with the double Olympic champion.

"Until I face her in a match, I won't know," Sakurai said. "But her results are amazing, winning at two straight Olympics, winning many times in Japan, and constantly battling with the world's best. In the end, I will have to beat her, but she's well above me. To be able to win at the next tournament, I have to work hard."

In the final, Sakurai and Nanjo got into a defensive struggle, with neither finding an opening to take shots. Sakurai received an activity clock point in the first period, but Nanjo got two in the second to lead 2-1 with a minute to go.

As the clock ticked down to single digits, Sakurai used a 2-on-1 to set up a sweeping single-leg tackle. She managed to lift the leg in the air, then barreled forward to send Nanjo crashing out of the ring and onto her back for 4 points with less than two seconds left.

"My wrestling doesn't produce a lot of points, which has been an issue for me," Sakurai said. "But my strong point is that I fight to the end and with the feeling that I will definitely win. So even though many of my matches have close scores, I don't get impatient."

Just like at 57kg, the women's 68kg class featured a potential match-up between a reigning world champion who changed to an Olympic weight (Furuichi) and a world medalist in that division, in this case, Rin MIYAJI. Neither, however, were around for the final.

Furuichi was dealt a stunning 4-1 loss in the semifinals by Ikuei's Ami ISHII, while world silver medalist Miyaji withdrew before taking the mat after reportedly failing to recover from an injury suffered in Oslo.

Against Furuichi, Ishii was leading 2-1, all from activity points, when she clinched the win with a last-second takedown.

"I couldn't do anything," said Furuichi, one of only two wrestlers to have completed the "grand slam" of world senior, U23, junior and cadet titles.

"It's the same thing that I always regret, not having the courage to shoot for takedowns, and I want to fix that with practice."

What made her defeat more vexing was that it came at a lower weight. While Furuichi said she ballooned "quite a bit" during the two-week quarantine upon returning from Oslo, she said getting down to 68kg did not present a problem and had no effect on the outcome.

"My condition [here] was not bad," said Furuichi, who added that she had decided that the Oslo worlds would be her last tournament at a non-Olympic weight. "From now on, I will stay at the Olympic weight [of 68kg]," she said.

Ishii suffered a shocking defeat of her own in the final against defending champion Naruha MATSUYUKI, who overcame a 0-4 deficit with two takedowns in the final 30 seconds for a 4-4 victory on criteria.

Matsuyuki, the 2019 world junior champion, salvaged some pride for her family by winning her third career national title. On Thursday, twin sister Yasuha was upset in the semifinals at 76kg, and earlier Saturday, younger brother Taisei lost in the final at freestyle 86kg.

Ozaki Nonoka OZAKI claimed the gold medal at 62kg. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At women's 62kg, Ozaki scored a double-leg takedown with :36 left to edge two-time former champion Naomi RUIKE 4-3 in the final, making her the first student or alumnus from academically oriented Keio University to win a national title in 62 years.

Ozaki said that her experience in Oslo, where she suffered a come-from-behind loss to eventual world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) before battling her way through the repechage to the bronze medal, prepared her to be ready for all matches regardless of the round.

Ozaki got her day started by having to face 2019 world U23 and junior champion Yuzuka INAGAKI, who she defeated 5-1 in the quarterfinals with a pair of second-period takedowns.

"In this tournament, I had tough matches from the beginning," the 18-year-old said. "But I didn't let that discourage me. At the World Championships, I also came up against a strong opponent in the first round and I lost, which made me prepared.

"I look at it as an ordeal to test me. If I can fight through it, I will be the better for it. From the first round, I looked at each match as a final and this was the result. I never lost hope in every three-minute period."

Ozaki, a product of the JOC Elite Academy, is a bit of an anomaly in Japanese wrestling. Instead of opting for a wrestling powerhouse out of high school, she took and passed the difficult entrance exams for Keio, and is now a freshman in the Faculty of Environmental Information.

Among her subjects, she is currently studying Korean, and plans to also learn French, according to Tokyo Sports. A grueling course load combined with high-level wrestling practice means "I don't have much time for the fun things in college life," the true scholar-athlete said.

Like Sakurai, Ozaki has a Kawai sister blocking her road to the Paris Olympics but remains confident of forging through. "We haven't faced each other yet, but I am very aware how strong she is," Ozaki said. "But I have won the Emperor's Cup and the Meiji Cup, and I think I can give her a fight."

Shimizu Kensuke Shimizu claimed a 6-3 victory in the 63kg final over Ryuto IKEDA. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In Greco-Roman, Takushoku University's Shimizu lived up to the expectations that his unique family history entails with a 6-3 victory in the 63kg final over Ryuto IKEDA.

After successfully fending off Ikeda while in the par terre position in the first period, Shimizu took full advantage of his chance on top in the second period with an explosive 5-point throw.

Ikeda scored a late takedown that was too little, too late.

"I was able to defend when he got the first point, so I felt the momentum was going my way," Shimizu said. "At the World Championships, my defense was weak and that led to my defeat. I still haven't fully fixed that yet, but I feel it's coming along."

With competition at the Asian Games limited to Olympic weights, it is likely that Shimizu and other winners in non-Olympic weights will get first priority to be dispatched to the Asian Championships, scheduled for April in a place to be determined. Shimizu would like that tournament to serve as his last hurrah at 63kg before moving up to 67kg, and perhaps as a chance for some revenge.

"The next Asian Championships could very likely be my last tournament at 63kg," Shimizu said. "I think the Iran wrestler who won the world title [Meysam DALKHANI (IRI)] might enter, so I will aim to beat him."

While Shimizu himself is not a household name in Japan, his name is well known because of the exploits of his uncle, Hiroyasu SHIMIZU, who became a national hero when he won the gold medal and set the world record at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in the men's 500 meters in speed skating.

In other Greco action, there was a changing of the guard at 97kg, in which Takahiro TSURUDA blanked Yuri NAKAZATO 6-0 in the final for his first national title, after each knocked off one of the two wrestlers who had reigned over the weight class for the past five years.

In the semifinals, Nakazato notched a 3-1 win over Yuta NARA, who held the title from 2016 to 2019, and Tsuruda followed with a 4-0 win over defending champion Masayuki AMANO.

Sakaki Ryoto SAKAKI won the 61kg final 4-0. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In freestyle, Yamanashi Gakuin University's Ryoto SAKAKI withstood everything that Higuchi could throw at him in the 61kg final, winning 4-0 to add to the title he won in 2019.

"Honestly speaking, I was unsure about whether or not I could win this tournament," said Sakaki, a 2020 Asian bronze medalist and 2017 world cadet champion. "That I was able to take the title, simply put, I'm really happy."

Sakaki said he sweated a bit after hearing that Higuchi was entered at 61kg. "From a while back, I had heard from a number of people that Higuchi would be entering the Emperor's Cup at 61kg, It made my heart pound," he said.

But Sakaki more than held his own against the 2018 world U23 champion, scoring a first-period takedown, then squiggling out of danger when Higuchi got behind while on their feet in the second period. At the end, Sakaki fought off a headlock attempt to score a match-clinching takedown.

Sakaki had a not-so-secret weapon in his corner, Yamanashi Gakuin coach Yuki TAKAHASHI, the former world champion who had beaten Higuchi in a playoff for the spot at the Tokyo Olympics that Higuchi had earned for Japan.

"Higuchi is really good at grabbing an arm, and of course coach Takahashi and head coach [Kunihiko] OBATA told me to be particularly careful of that," Sakaki said. "[Takahashi also said] I have a habit of floating in my stance, and he advised me to work on that."

To get to the final, Sakaki notched a 2-2 win over defending champion Kodai OGAWA of Nippon Sports Science University, who had beaten him a month earlier in the first round at the national collegiate championships.

The other freestyle golds up for grabs went to Daichi TAKATANI at 74kg and Shota SHIRAI at 86kg.

Takatani, whose lone previous title came at 65kg in 2017, defeated defending champion Kirin KINOSHITA 7-2 in a final that ended with a wild 4-point move for Takatani.

Takatani now wears the 74kg crown that his older brother, Sohsuke, wore for six years from 2011 to 2016. On Sunday, Sohsuke will attempt to win his 11th straight national title over four weight classes with a victory at 92kg.

Shirai added to the 82kg title he won in 2017 with a 5-4 victory over Matsuyuki. Shirai scored four stepouts in building a 5-0 lead, only to see Matsuyuki close the gap with a 4-point trip at the edge late in the second period.

The tournament wraps up Sunday with competition at freestyle 57kg and 92kg, Greco 55kg ad 72kg, and women's 50kg and 53kg.

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

61kg (12 entries)
Final - Ryoto SAKAKI df. Rei HIGUCHI, 4-0
3rd Place - Kodai OGAWA df. Kotaro KIYOOKA, 4-4
Semifinal - Higuchi df. Kiyooka, 2-1
Semifinal - Sakaki df. Ogawa, 2-2

74kg (12 entries)
Final - Daichi TAKATANI df. Kirin KINOSHITA, 7-2
3rd Place - Masaki SATO df. Jintaro MOTOYAMA, 3-1
Semifinal - Takatani df. Sato, 4-1
Semifinal - Kinoshita df. Motoyama, 2-1

86kg (11 entries)
Final - Shota SHIRAI df. Taisei MATSUYUKI, 5-4
3rd Place - Yajiro YAMASAKI df. Mao OKUI by TF, 10-0, 3:34
Semifinal - Matsuyuki df. Yamasaki, 3-2
Semifinal - Shirai df. Okui, 3-1

Greco-Roman

63kg (12 entries)
Final - Kensuke SHIMIZU df. Ryuto IKEDA, 6-3
3rd Place - Kazuki YABE df. Yoshiki YAMADA, 3-2
Semifinal - Shimizu df. Yabe, 3-1
Semifinal - Ikeda df. Yamada, 3-3

97kg (11 entries)
Final - Takahiro TSURUDA df. Yuri NAKAZATO, 6-0
3rd Place - Masayuki AMANO df. Yuta NARA by TF, 10-1, 2:13
Semifinal - Nakazato df. Nara, 3-1
Semifinal - Tsuruda df. Amano, 4-0

Women's Wrestling

57kg (8 entries)
Final - Tsugumi SAKURAI df. Sae NANJO, 5-2
3rd Place - Sena NAGAMOTO df. Ichika ARAI by Fall, 2:42 (8-0)
Semifinal - Nanjo df. Arai by TF, 12-1, 4:06
Semifinal - Sakurai df. Nagamoto, 3-0

62kg (9 entries)
Final - Nonoka OZAKI df. Naomi RUIKE, 4-3
3rd Place - Yui SAKANO df. Atena KODAMA, 4-1
Semifinal - Ozaki df. Kodama, 8-0
Semifinal - Ruike df. Sakano, 8-2

68kg (4 entries)
Final - Naruha MATSUYUKI df. Ami ISHII, 4-4
3rd Place - Masako FURUICHI df. Rin TERAMOTO by Def.
Semifinal - Ishii df. Furuichi, 4-1
Semifinal - Matsuyuki df. Teramoto, 5-1

Japan Wrestling

Veteran Japanese Wrestling Writer Eyes Covering 2nd Tokyo Olympics, 56 Years Later

Sunday, August 18, 2019 - 21:40 By Ikuo Higuchi

(The following is an abridged version of a story that recently appeared on the Japan Wrestling Federation website. Translation for UWW by Ken Marantz.)

Getting to cover more than one Olympics during a career can be considered an honor, but is not necessarily such a rarity for the world's top sports journalists. But to report on two Olympics held in the same city---and more than a half-century apart---that puts a writer into a class all their own.

Veteran Japanese wrestling writer Masayuki Miyazawa could pull off this astounding feat when the 2020 Tokyo Olympics open less than a year from now.

In the decades since covering the first Tokyo Olympics in 1964 for the Nikkan Sports daily, Miyazawa established himself as a leading fixture on the wrestling scene in Japan, not only as a peerless reporter, but as a magazine editor, Japan federation official, impromptu coach, and maverick of sorts.

"I don't want to go watch, I want to be on the scene reporting," says Miyazawa, who has long retired from Nikkan Sports and, his health willing, wants to be involved in some writing capacity at Tokyo 2020, when he will be 90.

Miyazawa still holds a position as an advisor in the Japan Wrestling Federation, but never forgets his roots. Although he has a seat on the dais reserved for federation officials at the All-Japan Championships, he always heads for the press section to sit among his "peers." "I'm a journalist for life," he says.

Miyazawa was not aware of the possibility of doing the Tokyo double and earning a place in journalistic history until a fellow press member mentioned to him, "You can get into the Guinness Book." That sparked Miyazawa's interest, the same inquisitiveness that led him to some of Japan sports' biggest scoops.

Miyazawa is praised for his long years of contribution to wrestling by JWF President Tomiaki Fukuda at an event heralding the first Olympic gold medal won by a wrestler (Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu) from Takushoku University, Miyazawa's alma mater, in 2012. (photo by Ikuo Higuchi)

It was during his days at Nikkan Sports that Miyazawa broke the story of the retirement of one of sumo wrestling's legendary champions, yokozuna Wakanohana I (the wrestler's wife phoned him to tell him). And at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Miyazawa made use of the Indonesian he had studied at Takushoku University to land an exclusive interview with President Sukarno, who was engulfed in a political crisis at the time.

Miyazawa serves as a referee, one of his many functions, at the GANEFO (Games of the New Emerging Forces) held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1963. He was also a judge in judo, a coach in both sports, and a journalist covering the event. (photo courtesy of Masayuki Miyazawa).

While he has mostly left his mark in wrestling, he covered many sports in his career, including judo, gymnastics, karate, modern pentathlon and the Paralympics. His prolific writing could fill volumes.

Finding the missing medalist
Miyazawa's greatest achievement was when he tracked down a Japanese Olympic medalist who had disappeared without a trace. It was Miyazawa who not only found Katsutoshi Naito alive and well in Brazil, but made it his life work to recount an amazing tale that very few Japanese even knew about.

The history of Japanese wrestling can pretty much trace its roots back to Naito, a judo competitor who took the rare and bold step in the 1920s of venturing overseas, in his case to enroll at Penn State University, currently a U.S. collegiate powerhouse. He joined the wrestling team and, in the days before the establishment of the NCAA, won the Eastern Intercollegiate title in 1924.

At that time, there was strong anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States, and Japan was not exempt. Against that background, Naito kept a low profile but still managed to find success. A Japanese politician, hoping to improve relations between the two countries, arranged for Naito to compete at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Katsutoshi Naito, left, a star wrestler at Penn State who won Japan's first ever Olympics medal in wrestling, a bronze at the 1924 Paris Games. (JWF archives)

Naito followed up on his success at Penn State by winning the bronze medal in the freestyle 61kg class. It was Japan's first-ever medal in wrestling and only the third overall, following a pair of silvers won in tennis at the 1920 Antwerp Games.

Naito returned to Japan after the Olympics and tried to introduce wrestling into the country, but it could not compete with the home-grown sport of judo. Naito, who studied horticulture at Penn State, then left for Brazil, where a large Japanese immigrant population had developed. In addition to starting a horticulture business, Naito introduced judo to his new hosts.

It would not be until 1932 that the Japan Wrestling Federation was established. By then, Naito was all but forgotten, and no one associated with the sport knew his whereabouts.

That was the situation until Miyazawa decided it was time to find this "legendary hero." Driven by the spirit of a wrestling journalist, Miyazawa plunged wholeheartedly into finding this ancestor of Japanese wrestling. His efforts paid off and, through an exchange of letters, he confirmed that Naito was living in Brazil. Miyazawa then played an influential role in getting Naito and his wife to attend wrestling matches at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when the two met for the first time.

How proud Naito must have felt to see how wrestling had planted such firm roots in Japan, and how far it had come---enough to win a startling five gold medals.

Later, to properly chronicle Naito's tale, Miyazawa started his journalistic endeavors in earnest, and the story was first published in a leading Japanese magazine in October 1987. "I went to Brazil three times, and Penn State three times," he recalls. At Penn State, he was hosted by Hachiro Oishi, a long-time coach of the Nittany Lions.

In 1985, Miyazawa accompanied Tomiaki Fukuda, the current JWF president, and Kazuko Oshima, Japan's first female wrestler, to report on Oshima appearing in the first-ever international women's tournament in Clermond-Ferrand, France. Miyazawa stayed behind after the other two returned to Japan to visit sites of the 1924 Paris Olympics and get a sense of the path taken by Naito. Looking back, the 89-year-old Miyazawa recently revealed how well-versed he became in Naito's life, as he can still recall from memory, "July 14, that was the day that Naito won his bronze medal."

Miyazawa, center, poses in Brazil in February 1990 with Katsuhiro Naito, left, the oldest son of Katsutoshi Naito, and Tatsuo Oishi, older brother of former Penn State coach Hachiro Oishi and who was living in Sao Paulo. On the wall is the diploma Katsutoshi Naito received for winning the bronze medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics. (photo courtesy of Masayuki Miyazawa)

For the sake of posterity
Over a nearly quarter-century span, from after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to March 1990, Miyazawa served as editor of a monthly magazine published by the Japan federation, originally called Japan Amateur Wrestling, then later renamed Monthly Wrestling and now Olympic Wrestling. At that time, wrestling was a completely amateur sport relying on government funding, and money was in short supply. As such, it was an unpaid position for Miyazawa, and one he carried out in his spare time away from his fulltime job.

One JWF president used to plead with the press for coverage, even if it was negative news. But in reality, most members of the federation regarded media relations as frivolous. "Expending energy on public relations doesn't result in any gold medals," was a common refrain.

"I don't recall ever getting compensation for writing, editing, transportation or any other expenses," says Miyazawa, who also somehow found time to serve for a decade as manager of the wrestling team at his alma mater Takushoku University, after it had fallen to the third division of the regional league. In 2012, Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu (freestyle 66kg) became the first-ever Takushoku wrestler to win an Olympic gold.

In the early days of the magazine, there was no fax machine or email, and Miyazawa had to meet the printer at Shinjuku train station in Tokyo to hand over the texts. They would meet again to get him a copy of the galley proof, then yet again so he could convey corrections. All of this in the precious time between newspaper assignments. The fact that results of tournaments often were published three or four months later hardly detracts from his impressive dedication.

Why did he do it? For Miyazawa, it was about fulfilling the journalist's mission of preserving an accurate history for future generations, in a sport he loved.

One day, a federation official said to Miyazawa, "If someone wants to look up results, they can just come to the federation office. Shouldn't you include more stories?" But Miyazawa was having none of that. For him, it was more important to have a depository for results to be left for posterity. He had his supporters, including one high-ranking official who noted that it would be easy for people living in Tokyo to visit the office, but all but impossible for many others. "Many people have an interest in seeing the results," the official said. "For the wrestlers, to see their name in print, even if it’s only on one line, would serve as motivation."

Others would later praise Miyazawa's efforts, saying the details and results included in the magazine were invaluable in determining qualifications for awards or putting together histories.

Miyazawa also revolutionized how wrestling terms were used in Japan. Back then, "period" was referred to as "round", and instead of the weight class in kilograms, terms like "flyweight" were used. It is suspected that the use of such boxing terms had been decided by journalists covering contact sports. Miyazawa became determined to unify Japan with the rest of the world after attending an international tournament. "When I mentioned the 'flyweight class,' a European wrestler had no idea what I was talking about," he recalls.

As wrestling in Japan was imported from the United States, Miyazawa wondered if it also used the boxing terms. But asking former Kokushikan University coach and longtime JWF website contributor William May, who wrestled collegiately in Minnesota, the American said had never heard of such a thing. Without consulting anyone, Miyazawa immediately started using "period" and "xx kg" in the magazine, and nobody complained.

Miyazawa, left, poses with Japan's first female wrestler Kazuko Oshima, 3rd from right, and others following an exhibition match for women held in conjunction with the Super Champions Cup in Tokyo in 1985. (photo courtesy of Masayuki Miyazawa)

Still in the running
While Miyazawa hopes to attend the Tokyo Olympics in some writing capacity, he has also applied to be a runner in the nationwide torch relay. If he is selected, he knows that his unique link to both Tokyo Games will lead to him being the subject of interviews, instead of the other way around.

Of more serious concern, though, is his current health. In the fall of last year, he had gallstone surgery, at which time he was found to have prostate cancer. As the cancer was not malignant, the doctor said that hormone injections could guarantee another of five to 10 years of life. As that would take him through the Tokyo Olympics, Miyazawa agreed to the treatment.

Recently, Miyazawa's condition has stabilized. In the olden days, the lifestyle of a reporter could be considered anything but healthy. Irregular working hours and late nights were the norm, as well as drinking until morning with colleagues. Smoking while typing out a story on deadline was a common site. While Miyazawa himself was not a smoker, his work left him with little time to exercise and he rarely thought about his diet.

At 62, five years after he had reached retirement age and was working for Nikkan Sports on a contract basis, he paid his own way to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was there that, seeing a photo of himself, he was shocked at how plump he had become. Thinking the problem might be more internal than a matter of diet, he underwent a physical exam upon returning to Japan, and was diagnosed with diabetes.

The doctor immediately recommended that Miyazawa see a specialist. Fortunately, his condition was not life-threatening, nor was he at a stage where amputation of a limb would be necessary. With medicine, a change to a healthy diet and the start of an exercise regimen, his condition vastly improved. Every day before going to work, he would go through a workout of walking in a pool. He managed to drop from 74kg to his current weight of 57kg, about the same as during his days as a wrestler at Takushoku.

Prior to his surgery last year, Miyazawa participated in an event hosted by the Daiichi Seimei Life Insurance women's athletics team, in which he ran two laps on a 400-meter track. He finished well behind the others. But as each leg of the Olympic torch relay will be 200 meters, it has given him confidence of being able to successfully complete the task.

One other obstacle could be getting credentials. When he covered the 1964 Olympics, criteria for getting a pass was very loose and he was very free to report on what he wanted. Nowadays with the IOC handling the process, it has become much more select.

Recently, an acquaintance took Miyazawa's quest a step further. "After covering the Tokyo Olympics for a second time, how about the [2024] Paris Olympics, which will mark 100 years after Naito won his bronze medal?"

"When the prostate cancer was discovered [last year], I was told the hormone treatment would give me another five or 10 years," Miyazawa replied. "I'd like to be around for that."

World Champ Sakurai Successfully Moves Up to 57kg, Upends Nanjo for 2nd National Title

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Veteran Japanese Wrestling Writer Eyes Covering 2nd Tokyo Olympics, 56 Years Later