【デフリンピック】金メダリスト佐々木琢磨選手が目指すのは

[Announcer Mika Hattori] The Deaflympics, the Olympics for the hearing impaired, will be held in Japan for the first time in 2025. We interviewed the Japanese athletes who will represent Japan. The Deaflympics, held every four years, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025 and will be held in Tokyo for the first time in November. 6,000 athletes from approximately 80 countries and regions will participate. Of the 21 events, two athletes from the prefecture have been selected to represent Japan in track and field. Erina Furukawa (20), from Hachinohe City, will be competing in the javelin throw for the first time. And -- [Takuma Sasaki] "My dream is to become the world champion in the 100m at the Deaflympics and set a world deaf record." Sprinter Takuma Sasaki (31), from Gonohe Town, will compete in the 100m, 200m, and 400m relay. Sasaki, who was born deaf, started athletics while attending junior high school at Hachinohe School for the Deaf. He has participated in the Deaflympics three times in the past. At the 2017 Turkey Games, he served as the anchor in the 400m relay and won the gold medal! At the 2022 Brazil Games, he will achieve his long-cherished dream of winning the gold medal in the 100m! Currently, Sasaki works as a staff member at Sendai University while competing in athletics. I, Hattori, met him for the first time in two years. [Takuma Sasaki] (Q. This year's Deaflympics are finally here. How do you feel now?) "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm excited." "Right now, I'm focusing on drastically improving my acceleration in the 100m." "I'm practicing accelerating in the first half and running at top speed for the last 30m." "It's difficult to run at top speed." As he trains hard for the event, Sasaki looks back on his past: [Takuma Sasaki] "There have been a lot of things up until now. But I've overcome all of those obstacles. I couldn't have done it on my own. I was able to overcome them all because of the support of those around me." Support from those around me. The biggest thing was the presence of coach Eiji Natori. [Takuma Sasaki] (Q. Meeting Coach Natori) "I'm glad." (Q. Has your running changed?) "It's changed." The two met after the 2017 Deaflympics. At the time, Coach Natori said: [Sendai University Track and Field Team Coach Natori Eiji] "He didn't look like the kind of athlete who could win a gold medal in a relay, and even when I watched his practice, I didn't feel like he was a top athlete." [Sasaki Takuma] "Coach Natori tells me things clearly. He doesn't treat me like a deaf person, he treats me like a normal person. That's the biggest thing. If something isn't right, he tells me why it's wrong." Sasaki steadily improved under Coach Natori's guidance. [Eiji Natori, Head Coach, Sendai University Track and Field Team] (Q. Deaf athletes have difficulty maintaining balance) "At first, I noticed his weak balance and he would run extremely crookedly, but I overcame that by walking while rotating a ball like a hammer in a hammer throw, then letting it go and running, and by training my balance." "His high adaptability is definitely a strength. It's quite difficult to change the way you run, and I began to feel that he had a good sense for how he approached a match, so I thought maybe he could do it for real." Sasaki's level is steadily improving. He is surrounded by more and more friends who work with him, regardless of whether they have a disability or not. On this day, Naoki Ogami (25), a graduate of Sendai University who is currently affiliated with Aomori Prefecture and is active on the world stage, was also there. [Oue Naoki, a graduate of Sendai University and a member of Aomori Prefecture] "I wanted to hear more about (Sasaki's) experiences, so I tried to learn sign language." "He's an athlete that you just want to cheer for. When you're competing in the same event, it's inevitable that you feel like a rival, but I don't get that feeling from Sasaki at all. He's someone that I just want to keep running with." Together with his coach and teammates, Sasaki has secured his fourth appearance in the Deaflympics. [Takuma Sasaki] "Hosting the Deaflympics in Japan will be a historic event. For me, it's important to raise awareness of the existence of deaf people." "Speaking of deaf people, sign language is important. I would be happy if people could say things like 'Thank you,' 'Good morning,' or 'Are you okay?' using sign language, even if it's just to say hello." (Q. What are your goals for the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics?) "I have two. The first is to set a world deaf record in the 100m. The second is to win three gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 400m relay." [Eiji Natori, Head Coach, Sendai University Track and Field Team] "I want to support him so that he can keep up with his big mouth and make it happen." [Takuma Sasaki] "It's not easy. But it's worth the challenge." [Mika Hattori, Announcer] The Tokyo Deaflympics will open on...