Features
[JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Haruka Kitaguchi Handles the Pressure to Win in Monaco
In preparation for the Paris Olympics, javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi saved her best for last to claim victory on her final throw in the Diamond League event.
Reigning world champion Haruka Kitaguchi collected her sixth victory in seven women's javelin competitions in 2024 on Friday, July 12.
The Olympic gold-medal favorite had a season-best throw of 65.21 meters to win the Monaco Diamond League event at Stade Louis II.
Kitaguchi secured the win by launching her best throw of the day on her last attempt. Entering that high-pressure moment, she was in second place.
And then she climbed into first place as her javelin soared farther than it had at any time this year. American Mackenzie Little had to settle for second place (64.74 meters).
Kitaguchi described the victory-clinching moment after the competition wrapped up.
"I gave it my all for the last one," the 26-year-old said, according to Kyodo News before adding, "I managed to go out there without being too intense."
The Paris Olympian added, "I was able to throw 65 meters. That's one big thing."
How did Kitaguchi approach her critical final attempt?
"I thought that I really wanted to win and just gave it everything," Kitaguchi was quoted as saying by The Yomiuri Shimbun. Then she said, "I made sure not to force it too much and just threw it as usual."
Kitaguchi won her fourth national title on June 28 in Niigata with a top throw of 62.87 meters.
Up next: The London Diamond League meet is set for July 20, and Kitaguchi is scheduled to compete.
Haruka Kitaguchi: A Look Back at a Major Feat Early in Her Career
Nearly a decade ago, Haruka Kitaguchi exhibited world-class talent at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.
Kitaguchi had an event-best throw of 60.35 meters, eclipsing what had been her personal-best mark in the javelin by more than 5 meters entering the competition in mid-July.
That victory, of course, didn't guarantee major success for years to come. But it demonstrated that Kitaguchi had the ability to excel on the global stage.
In 2023, she finished first in the Diamond League final and won her first world title for adult competitors in Budapest.
For Kitaguchi, success in the biggest meets is not surprising. Since 2022, she's won eight Diamond League competitions, putting her skills to the test against the world's best.
In an August 2023 interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Kitaguchi adviser Kazutaka Adachi, a University of Tsukuba associate professor of applied anatomy, said the javelin thrower has learned how to harness her physical strength and make important improvements in recent years.
"She knows her own weaknesses and has made efforts to overcome them," Adachi told the newspaper.
When the Olympic Title Will Be Decided
Haruka Kitaguchi will compete in the Olympic qualification round on August 7. The final is set for August 10, a Saturday, in the French capital.
RELATED:
- [ODDS and EVENS] World Champion Haruka Kitaguchi Targets Olympic Gold
- [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Japan's Athletes for the Paris Olympics Receive a Spirited Send-Off
Soccer
FC Machida Zelvia Riding a Five-Match Unbeaten Streak
With three wins and a pair of scoreless draws in their last five J.League matches, FC Machida Zelvia have bolstered their 2024 season title hopes.
Manager Go Kuroda's club holds a five-point lead over second-place Vissel Kobe, the 2023 J.League champions, in the standings, as of Saturday, July 13.
The first-place squad has 14 wins, four draws and four defeats (46 points). With 41 points, Vissel sit in second place with a 12-5-6 record and a plus-16 goal differential. The Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka also have 41 points. But Vissel's superior goal differential (Kashima is at plus-11 and Osaka is plus-9) is the tiebreaker.
Zelvia, coming off a 1-0 win over Nagoya Grampus on July 6, return to action against Tokyo Verde on Sunday in their 23rd match of the 38-match season. Kickoff is at 6 PM.
Forward Shota Fujio leads Zelvia with eight goals this season.
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Nadeshiko Japan Trounces Ghana in Pre-Olympic Clash
In Kanazawa, world No 7 Japan defeated Ghana 4-0 on Saturday, July 13 at Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium.
Mina Tanaka (51st minute), Maika Hamano (65th), Aoba Fujino (67th) and Riko Ueki (80th) all scored second-half goals for Nadeshiko Japan.
Futoshi Ikeda's squad outshot the visitors 22-1. Ghana is ranked 65th in the world.
In the women's tournament at the Paris Olympics, Japan is in Group C for the preliminary round. Its opponents are Spain (July 25 in Nantes), Nigeria (July 28 in Paris) and Brazil (July 31 in Nantes).
Japan lost 3-1 to Sweden in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics at Saitama Stadium in 2021. Tanaka had Japan's lone goal in that match. (Sweden also eliminated Japan in the quarterfinals in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Auckland.)
Defender Saki Kumagai, the team captain during Tokyo 2020, was in the starting lineup in the same leadership position on Saturday.
"We could have done what we wanted to do a little better in the first half," Kumagai told NHK after facing Ghana. "But we made corrections at halftime, created chances in the second half and scored four goals to win the game, which was good."
Commenting on the upcoming Olympics, Kumagai said, "We have no choice but to do our best now that we have come this far. And although we still have some things to work on as a team, I am confident that we will be able to make good preparations from this point on for the Games."
Tennis
Oda Beaten in Wimbledon Wheelchair Singles Semifinals
Tokito Oda won the first two Grand Slam men's wheelchair singles titles in 2024, achieving his goal at the Australian Open and French Open.
On Friday, July 12, Spaniard Martin de la Puente topped world No 1 Oda in the Wimbledon men's wheelchair singles semifinals, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
In the three-set loss, Oda had six double faults and made 25 unforced errors.
Meanwhile, Oda, 18, and partner Takuya Miki secured a spot in Sunday's wheelchair doubles final against Britain's Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid.
Baseball
Dodgers' Ohtani Belts 200th MLB Homer in Loss to Tigers
Shohei Ohtani gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-2 lead over the Detroit Tigers with a solo home run, the 200th of his MLB career, in the fifth inning on Saturday, July 13.
But the Dodgers squandered a 9-4 lead, losing 11-9 in 10 innings to the Tigers, tamping down the excitement over Ohtani's milestone blast. The fan favorite, who scored three runs, also had a triple. He's batting .314 (second in the National League) with a league-best 29 homers and 69 RBIs (third).
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented on Ohtani's MVP-caliber season after the game.
"It's really incredible. Stolen bases, the home runs, he's having a tremendous MVP-type season," Roberts said, according to The Orange County Register. "Two hundred homers, given how short he's been in the big leagues, six years, and then you take away some of the IL (injury list) time — how he's done it so quickly is pretty remarkable.
"Unfortunately we couldn't celebrate that 200-homer accomplishment with a win."
Suzuki Ignites Cubs in Rout of Orioles
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki had one of his most productive games as an MLB hitter on Thursday, July 11, slugging a pair of run-scoring doubles and whacking a triple.
Suzuki, who's in his third season in the majors, helped lead the Cubs to an 8-0 road victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
The 29-year-old's first double of the game gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the third inning. His second double extended the lead to 4-0 in the fifth.
In the seventh, Suzuki tripled to left to make it 6-0. It was his third triple of the season.
Through July 13, Suzuki is batting .266 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs in 71 games.
Rugby
After Defeat to Georgia, Brave Blossoms Seek Better Results
Georgia edged Japan 25-23 in a rugby test match on Saturday, July 13 in Sendai. The Brave Blossoms trailed 18-13 at halftime. Kanji Shimokawa was given a red card for what was assessed as a dangerous play in the 20th minute. Therefore, Japan had to compete for the rest of the match with 14 players.
Jone Naikabula and Tomoki Osada scored tries for Japan in the third and 24th minutes, respectively.
"We played the way Japan is known for and I'm proud of the team, but we're not satisfied with the result," Japan captain Michael Leitch said, according to Agence France-Presse.
It was Japan's second test under Eddie Jones since he returned for a second stint as the head coach.
Up next: Japan faces Italy on July 21 at Sapporo Dome.
Golf
Furue in Contention for Evian Championship Title
At the Amundi Evian Championship, LPGA Tour golfer Ayaka Furue held a three-stroke lead before play was suspended in the second round on Friday, July 12 in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Furue shot a 6-under 65 in the opening round and did it again in the second round to sit at 12-under at the major tournament's midway point. Rainstorms kept more than 60 players from completing the round before play was halted.
When play resumed on Saturday, Furue carded a 70 to stay in the hunt for the title. She's tied with Lauren Coughlin of the United States for second at 13-under 200 heading into the final round. Australia's Stephanie Kyriacou leads at 14-under 199.
Quote of the Week
"Of course, I do have an ideal type of player I want to be. But I haven't reached that goal yet. Right now, I would like to develop upon the solid foundation I've built as a player in Japan. I want to continue on and improve further. That's the kind of player I want to be."
—Slugger Rintaro Sasaki of the MLB Draft League's Trenton Thunder, speaking to MLB.com about his aspirations as a baseball player.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.