WCH Tokyo 25 Ambassadors
The Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) held its Relay Festival across two days from 5 to 6 October 2024 at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. On the opening day, the Local Organising Committee hosted a Dream Relay event to mark one year until the World Athletics Championships.
The event named 'Dream Relay' featured a team of four athletes; Haruka Kitaguchi (women’s javelin), Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (men’s sprint), Nozomi Tanaka (women’s middle and long-distance running) and Yuki Hashioka (men’s long jump) who have been appointed as WCH Tokyo 25 Athlete Ambassadors. In addition, Japanese actor Yuji Oda, whose assumption of the role of Special Ambassador had just been announced, made a surprise appearance and served as the relay starter, further energising those in attendance.
WCH Tokyo 25 is currently preparing for next year’s Championships, which is scheduled to be held at the Japan National Stadium from 13 to 21 September 2025. It announced its Special Ambassador and Athlete Ambassadors on 5 October.
Yuji Oda served as the main sportscaster for Japanese broadcaster TBS’s televised coverage of 13 World Athletics Championships events, from Athens 97 to Oregon 22. His passion for track and field combined with his impactful storytelling has made him a beloved figure among Japanese audiences. Having spent a significant part of his career contributing to raising the profile of athletics in Japan, he has returned to the championships after a short absence to play an ambassadorial role for the local organising committee. In his new role, he is expected to communicate the appeal and value of the event by drawing on his unique storytelling skills and wealth of experience.
The five athletes chosen as Athlete Ambassadors are Haruka Kitaguchi, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, Nozomi Tanaka, Asuka Terada (women’s 100m hurdles) and Yuki Hashioka. All of them have represented Japan at numerous international competitions, including the World Athletics Championships. In addition to their athlete activities, they will work with Oda to promote the appeal of WCH Tokyo 25 in and outside Japan through appearances at official events and in the media as well as various other engagements.
The Dream Relay was the first memorable activation for these athletes following their appointment as ambassadors. It was held at the Japan National Stadium, the same venue that will be used for next year’s Championships. The announcement of the Dream Relay featuring Kitaguchi, Sani Brown, Tanaka and Hashioka was made at the beginning of October, and participants in the relay festival and countless others gathered in the stands despite the rain to see the top athletes in action. When Oda appeared as a surprise guest, the stadium erupted into cheers and applause.
After greeting the spectators with the words, “Hello, I’m back!”, Oda shared his own thoughts as well as some anecdotes while interacting with the athletes. He also expressed his passion for the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Tokyo for the first time in 34 years since the third edition in 1991. “I’m definitely going to support this event”, he shared with the audience. “I’ll be here to watch every second, so let’s support it together!”.
From left: Haruka Kitaguchi, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, Nozomi Tanaka, Yuki Hashioka.
The Dream Relay, in which Oda served as the starter, featured four teams. In addition to the Athlete Ambassadors team, which was made up of Hashioka, Tanaka, Kitaguchi and Sani Brown, in that order, a team of athletes who had competed in previous WCH events was formed consisting of Kaito Kawabata (4th place in the men’s 4x400m relay at WCH Oregon 22), Hiroki Yanagita (5th place in the men’s 4x100m relay at WCH Budapest 23), Kirara Shiraishi (bronze medal in the men’s 4x100m relay at WCH Doha 19), and Kumiko Okada (6th place in the women’s 20km race walk at WCH Doha 19). The two teams competed against the Akiruno Kakekko Club, a team of local elementary school students, and the YUMEOLY Athletics Club, a team of junior high school students. The junior high athlete team took the lead from the early stages of the race and won by a large margin. The Athlete Ambassador team, whose members couldn’t stop smiling every time they passed the baton, came in second. Third place went to the elementary school athlete team, which overtook race walker Okada on the home straight, and the team of WCH athletes finished fourth.
Sani Brown receives the baton from Haruka Kitaguchi during the Dream Relay. ©Getsuriku Online
From left: Hiroki Yanagita, Kaito Kawabata, Kirara Shiraishi, Kumiko Okada.
After the Dream Relay, the four Athlete Ambassadors and Special Ambassador Oda appeared on stage for a press conference, in which the appointment of each ambassador was announced again. The ambassadors then shared their thoughts on having the championships back in their home country in one year’s time.
Having been an iconic fixture of the World Athletics Championships for 25 years, Oda reminded the audience that the upcoming event will be the first championships held in Tokyo in 34 years, adding that it may be the last opportunity for people of his generation to watch a home games. “After I realised yesterday that the WCH Tokyo 25 would be a once-in-a-lifetime event for me, I was unable to sleep”, he shared with a grin. With his trademark wit showing no sign of dimming following his absence from the sportscasting booth since Oregon 22, Oda’s showcasing of his wealth of knowledge made the press conference a resounding success.
WCH Tokyo 25 ambassadors press conference
Haruka Kitaguchi referred to the World Athletics Championships as “a festival of track and field”. Kitaguchi, who has made consecutive appearances at WCH since Doha 19, also said that “the World Athletics Championships is one of the key athletics meets for myself and other competitors”, and that it inspires her to perform to the best of her potential. Kitaguchi earned the bronze medal at Oregon 22 and the gold medal at Budapest 23. Regarding next year’s championships, she commented, “I hope that many Japanese fans and fans from across the world visit the Japan National Stadium. There are lots of things that you can only feel if you are there in person, so I hope that people come to the venue”.
After making her first appearance in the 5000m at Doha 19, Nozomi Tanaka competed in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m at Oregon 22 and in the 1500m and 5000m at Budapest 23, where she finished 8th in the 5000m. In response to a question about the World Athletics Championships, she replied, “If children who play sports are asked about their future dreams, I think the most common answer will be that they want to participate in the Olympics. I may be a bit of a contrarian, however, because when I was at high school and envisioning my future, I would imagine participating in the World Athletics Championships. I find the championships more accessible and more fascinating than the Olympic Games because the World Athletics Championships is just for track and field. And because it is held at a shorter interval of two years, I can measure my development more closely. I see it as a necessary competition for my running career”. Referring to Tanaka as the “Japanese Hassan” in expectation of her following in the footsteps of Sifan Hassan (a Dutch runner who, in an unprecedented feat, secured gold medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m and a bronze medal in the 1500m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as well as a gold medal in the marathon and bronze medals in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Olympics), Oda asked her about what disciplines she would pursue going forward. “Since I have met the entry standards for the 1500m and 5000m, I’m aiming for medals in those disciplines,” she replied. Turning to the subject of the venue, she added, “At the Paris Olympics, the stadium was packed with people even in the qualifying rounds on, and I was really impressed by how people overseas look forward to the qualifying races just as much as the finals. I hope we can expect the same atmosphere next year”.
“For me, the World Athletics Championships are the ultimate stage for track and field”, explained Yuki Hashioka, who has appeared in three consecutive World Athletics Championships since finishing 8th at Doha 19. “While track and field is certainly a highlight of the Olympics, there are many other disciplines attracting people’s attention”. The six-place finisher in long jump at Tokyo 2020 Olympics added, “The World Championships is a festival that is truly dedicated to track and field, and I view it as a special competition where I can demonstrate what I have devoted my life to”. When asked about the atmosphere at the Paris Olympics, he reflected on the scene from the morning sessions on, saying, “I was impressed by the huge turnout and amazed by the unity among the spectators. In Japan, spectators watch quietly, but in Europe, they shout out their support. I hope my performance can arouse some enthusiasm among even the quieter Japanese spectators”.
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown has represented Japan at five consecutive World Athletics Championships starting with Beijing 15, when he was still in high school. He has achieved a number of notable records, including becoming the youngest athlete to be a finalist in the 200m (at London 17) and excelling in the 4x100m relay (bronze at Doha 19 and 5th place at Budapest 23). He also established himself as a finalist in the men’s 100m at two consecutive World Athletics Championships, namely Oregon and Budapest. “The result of this year’s Paris Olympics was the most frustrating result of my life”, he recalled. “Although I am evolving, the world is progressing at a faster pace. I felt that I needed to work harder and devote my life to this sport in order to surpass other athletes. I am determined to win in the 100m, as well as the 200m and relay”. During the press conference, Sani Brown had the audience laughing when he offered a perfect response to some gentle ribbing by Oda. When asked what the World Championships meant to him, however, he took on a serious expression. “It makes me feel truly alive”, he replied. “I want to give my best-ever performance in front of spectators in Japan. I hope that lots of people come to the stadium to see us perform in the flesh”.
Asuka Terada (women’s 100m hurdles)
In addition, a video message from Asuka Terada, who was unavoidably unable to attend the press conference, was also presented. In the message, Terada recalled a scene from the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, where she made her first appearance in the 100m hurdles. “When Usain Bolt set a new world record in the 100m, the stadium fell silent, and then the stands shook with thunderous roars of applause”, she recalled. “I hope that next year we can witness the same kind of impact as seen in Berlin 09. We must work together to build momentum over the coming year by sharing the appeal of WCH Tokyo 25 with the people of the world”.。
Following Terada’s video message, Oda made the observation that if you are not at the stadium you can never know the “silence that falls as tens of thousands of people hold their breath right before the start of the 100m” or the “different parabolas drawn by each javelin thrower”. He concluded by saying, “The trajectory of the javelin as it rises like a firework, or the sensation you get like an athlete is jumping in slow motion—these are the moments that you can only experience at the stadium. Next year’s event should be particularly special among the biannual World Athletics Championships since it is held on home turf. I really recommend that the people of Japan take advantage of such a rare opportunity”.
WCH Tokyo 25 ambassadors and school children that participated in the Dream Relay.
Article courtesy of Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF).
Originally written by Ikumi Kodama (JAAF media team). English translation based on the original Japanese article.
Photo: Getsuriku Online, RIKUJYO-KYOGI SHA Co., Ltd.
