Courtesy Call from Japanese Athletes and Local Organizers after Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships

Governor Koike received a courtesy call on September 26 from Japanese athletes, who had competed in the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, and local organizers of the September 13-21 event.

The athletes were Yoshizu Takuho (8th in the mixed 4X400 relay), Kobayashi Kana (7th in the women’s marathon), Fujii Nanako (bronze medal in the women’s 20km race walk), Nakajima Yuki Joseph (6th in the men’s 400m), Yoshikawa Kento (7th in the men’s 20km race walk) and Akamatsu Ryoichi (8th in the men’s high jump).

They were joined by Yamazaki Kazuhiko, Chairman of the High Performance Committee of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF), as well as Ogata Mitsugu and Takeichi Takashi, respectively President and Secretary General of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

“I’d like to thank all of you athletes for inspiring hope and delivering dreams to everyone with your incredible performances at the World Athletics Championships,” Governor Koike told the visitors. 

She also expressed gratitude to the LOC president and secretary general for their all-around cooperation in preparing for the championships, to more than 620,000 people for visiting the National Stadium to watch and cheer for the competitors, and to volunteers for giving great support to the event.

The governor praised JAAF executive Yamazaki, who oversees the development of athletic performances, for “helping athletes always sustain their high ambitions.” “Your endeavor has resulted in the great achievements out there.”

Recalling the event’s outreach program that donated relay race batons to all elementary schools in Tokyo, she said: “The World Athletics Championships was carved with all sorts of memories, such as baton relay practices involving children actually on the track.”

”Tokyo is prepared to host the Deaflympics in November,“ Governor Koike noted. “I’d like to extend my heart-felt appreciation to you for seizing on the World Athletics Championships to deliver on the great theme of inspiring dreams and hope as well as bringing about health through sports,” she went on. “I hope you will keep trying to get great results and memories, going forward.”