Shinka Kitaguchi wins the Ultimate Championship with a new Japanese record

[Paris Jiji] The Ultimate Championship, a newly established event that brings together top track and field athletes, was held in Budapest, and on the 12th, Kitaguchi Shinka (JAL) won the women's javelin throw with a new Japanese record of 68.92 meters. This was a significant improvement on his previous record of 67.38 meters, which he set in 2023, for the first time in three years.

Olympic Queen's decisive throw, Shinka Kitaguchi, complete comeback in Japan - Ultimate Track and Field Championship

Last season ended in a disappointing manner due to an injury to his right elbow, and he was unable to produce satisfactory results in the first half of this season as well. That all changed in the second half, and the efforts with the new coach started to pay off. A new rival has ignited their fighting spirit.

In May, 18-year-old Yan Ziyi from China recorded a distance of 71.74 meters, the second highest in world history. He continued to set good records in subsequent tournaments, and quickly became one of the top players. Kitaguchi, the Paris Olympics queen, is now in a position to chase after her. In the end, this worked out positively. "It looks like there's a lot to protect, but there's not that much. It's good to always have a goal in front of you," he says.

2nd place in the Diamond League Final on September 5th. Although he lost to Yan Ziyi, he was able to exceed 65 meters for the first time this season and was feeling confident. At the Ultimate Championship, a switch was turned on when his rival ran 68.05 meters in the first race.

Although she has won big titles such as an Olympic gold medal and world championship championship, Kitaguchi says, ``I always go into matches thinking that I want to compete with her.'' I am able to maintain high motivation because I have strong opponents.