Ed Odeven 
Hiromi Taniguchi holds the Olympic torch in Nichinan, Miyazaki Prefecture, in this April 2021 file photo. (©SANKEI)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Hiromi Taniguchi Became the 1st Japanese Track World Champion in 1991
It's been said that experience is the best teacher ― you live and you learn. And for Hiromi Taniguchi, repetition was a key factor in his success as a marathon runner.
Being tested against high-caliber competition helped Taniguchi achieve his greatest success.
At the 1991 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (August 23-September 1), Taniguchi represented his homeland, competing in his specialized event. He was a six-time marathon winner in his 13 previous races. This included the 1987 London Marathon and the 1990 Rotterdam Marathon in the Netherlands.
The IAAF, also known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, staged its first World Championships in Athletics in 1983 in Helsinki. Four years later, Rome hosted the global meet.
When Japan earned the privilege of staging the 3rd IAAF World Championships, Taniguchi was an established runner in his prime. He was 31.
Recollections of the 1991 World Championships
Japan didn't collect a medal at the worlds in 1983 and '87. Therefore, there was plenty of pent-up anticipation (and wishes) from this nation's fervent track and field supporters for something to celebrate four years later.
However, Hiromi Taniguchi, a native of Miyazaki Prefecture, wasn't optimistic about Japan's chances to experience title-winning glory at the 1991 World Championships.
In a September 2024 interview with Kyodo News, Taniguchi recalled his mindset heading into the high-profile meet.
"At the time, people said there was no way a Japanese could win, and I wasn't very popular," Taniguchi told Kyodo News.
But his outlook and the national mood quickly changed.
What happened?
Taniguchi cited compatriot Sachiko Yamashita's silver medal-winning performance in the women's marathon on August 25, the third day of the meet, as a positive catalyst.
And on the same day, American track legend Carl Lewis broke the world record in the men's 100-meter final (9.86 seconds).
"From that point on, the excitement was all over the place," Taniguchi said, according to Kyodo News. "When Yamashita-san won the silver medal, I was still adjusting in Sapporo, but I went to practice thinking that the only thing left to do now was win the gold medal."
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles highlighting Japan's history of competition at the World Athletics Championships in the run-up to the 2025 global extravaganza in Tokyo.
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
