◇ 3rd ◇ Return ◇ Hakone-Tokyo (5 sections 109.6km)
Hakone Ekiden was held at the new Corona Rescue. Toshihiko Seko Marathon Strengthening Project Leader (64) of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, who was also in charge of commentary on TV broadcasting, looked back on the unusual tournament while taking measures against infection.
While praising Soka University’s great fight, he applauded Komazawa’s unyielding run. We thanked the people involved for the event and praised the athletes who showed the splendor of the sport at the beginning of the Olympic year.
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At the very end, something unexpected happened. I thought that the difference of 3 minutes or more in the 10th ward, 90% or more was the victory of Soka University, but it was a reversal. This is the Hakone Ekiden. I don’t know what will happen. It made me feel a little complicated because the development was a development.
Soka University really did its best. There is no player who stands out. However, everyone exerted 100% power from the outbound route. The top is mentally comfortable and uplifting. There is also the advantage that the relay vehicle is a windbreak. The players ran with a happy smile. You would have thought you would win. That’s why I wanted you to win. I wanted to win. It is surprisingly difficult to win the championship. Looking at past tournaments, there are many teams that have won the first victory with momentum from no mark. In that sense, I wanted to win this year and I wanted to win.
However, Komazawa University is also true. You should have known that both the manager and the players are difficult. Still, I chased without giving up until the end. On the return trip, the difference was widened twice in the 7th and 9th wards. It’s no wonder it’s no good, but I was able to reverse it because I believed that something would happen and ran. Director Oyagi has made trial and error with the aim of reviving the old man. The way we interact with players has changed with the times. I think communication is considerable. I think God was watching the hardships of such a director.
Seigaku University, which was the number one candidate for the championship before the tournament, stalled on the outbound route. I never expected to be in 12th place. However, it was wonderful to switch the goal to the return victory and achieve it. It’s the strength of the team that has won the championship. After all, next year will be Komazawa University, and along with Soka University, who gained confidence and felt regret this year, he should be a candidate for the championship.
All the teams that were considered to be the winning candidates were in the top ranks, but only Meidai ended up with a disappointing result. I couldn’t put out all the strength. I saw the victory for the first time in 72 years, and on the contrary, I got stronger. It was in contrast to Soka University, which was selfless and free-spirited.
The fluttering of many teams is partly due to the new Corona. I couldn’t practice satisfactorily because I couldn’t receive guidance from the coach and coach throughout the season. Some teams couldn’t even camp in the summer. When practicing alone, the sweetness comes out by all means. It’s difficult to drive yourself. Due to the schedule change, the Japan Championships will be held in December. For the top players who appeared there, it was difficult to match the relay road race one month later. The athlete with a record of 27 minutes (10,000 meters) finished with almost no power. That’s also the reason why it didn’t go as expected.
Did you say in the TV commentary in the 5th ward that “what controls Hakone controls the mountains”? That’s a mistake. “What controls the mountains controls Hakone,” isn’t it? No, I understand that (laughs).
With the cancellation of the Izumo Ekiden in October, everyone should have thought that Hakone would be difficult. However, we were wondering if we could somehow secure a place for the players to announce. The people around me and the people involved made an effort for the efforts of the players. There was certainly a loneliness that was different from usual due to thorough infection control measures such as the inability to meet friends at the goal and the limited number of staff. But the players were grateful to be able to run. I am also grateful to the people who contributed to the event, and I would like to say that I had a hard time.
Of course, there are opinions against the event in the current situation. I called for a lot on the broadcast, but the audience gathered along the road. There will be criticism of it. However, I would like to believe that many people thought that “sports are good” on their home TV, even though they had a feeling of obstruction. I understand that there are various ideas, but I hope that the Hakone Ekiden will lead to other sports and lead to the Tokyo Olympics. What you have done will lead to the next. If you don’t do it, nothing will connect. I think this tournament marked the beginning of the Olympic Year 2021.
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