Ryoichi Akamatsu, Japanese high jumper and Budapest 2023 finalist (© Haruki Omae)
Originally written on 24 Feb 2024
At the Twilight Games held in July 2023, high jumper Ryoichi Akamatsu broke his personal best with a jump of 2m30cm, becoming the 8th Japanese athlete to make the "big jump". The following month, he reached the final of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23. He became the second Japanese to finish in 8th place. Akamatsu-san not only competes, but also works as an IT engineer and is a research student at the Gifu University School of Medicine. We interviewed the high jumper, who is active in a wide range of fields as a "Three-Way," about how he faces the competition and his thoughts on the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
Ryoichi Akamatsu
Born in 1995 in Gifu Prefecture. Men’s high jump (2m30｜6th in Japan’s history *as of January 2024).
After graduating from Kano High School in Gifu Prefecture and Gifu University, he went on to graduate from the graduate school of Gifu University.
Currently, he is a member of hrs, where he balances competition and research. He learns from academic papers and other sources what training methods can be employed to improve jumping technique, and he develops training plans and modifies techniques based on those evidence. As a researcher, he has written papers on gait balance and falls, and his goal is to obtain an M.D. degree. He is training daily with the goal of competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
Sensation Similar to a Basketball Layup Shot
–How did you get started in high jump?
I played basketball until junior high school. I tried out for the high school club, but the practices seemed too hard, so I decided to look around at other clubs. The track and field club looked interesting and had a good atmosphere, so I decided to join. At first, I practiced short distance running and long jump, but when I tried high jump, my advisor told me, “You should do high jump”. I had always played basketball, so the feeling of stepping out of the curve of a layup shot was similar, and the sensation of floating was fun, so I decided to “give it a try”.
–What aspects of yourself do you feel make you a good high jumper?
If you gain too much muscle mass, you will become too heavy and will not be able to jump in the high jump. I think I have a body shape (183 cm, 61 kg) that is suited for competition, including my body weight, because I can easily exert great power even with a small amount of muscle mass. This is one of my strengths.
Read more Move to the website of TOKYO FORWARD 2025 (External link).
