Ed Odeven 
DMG MORI Global One skipper Kojiro Shiraishi is pictured after completing the 2024-25 Vendee Globe in Les Sables d'Olonne, France on February 9. (©Jean-Marie Liot/ALEA)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Participation in Sports Provides a Purpose
In competitive sports, the pursuit of excellence is a persistent goal.
Victories and setbacks provide tangible proof of an individual or team's development and struggles.
Championships deliver validity and meaning to their journeys.
But not everyone will win titles. The completion of a practice, a game, a tournament, a season ― there's commonality in the schedule among rivals, even among athletes from different sports.
Different tactics and philosophies for competition keep sports interesting instead of robotic.
Sometimes, the most compelling stories feature the satisfaction that athletes and coaches derive from competition — or hearing or seeing their reactions after the end of an event.
Take, for example, reaching the finish line in the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe, a solo around-the-world sailing race. It started in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, on November 10, 2024.
Thursday, February 13 was Day 95 of the epic journey.
France's Charlie Dalin won the competition, returning to the French coastal port on January 14. His winning time: 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, 49 seconds.
On February 9, Japanese sailor Kojiro Shiraishi completed his around-the-world odyssey aboard DMG MORI Global One, putting him in 24th place. Forty sailors entered the competition, with seven being forced to withdraw along the way.
For the 57-year-old Shiraishi, it was his third Vendée Globe. He placed 16th in the 2020-21 race.
Reflecting on a Global Odyssey
Upon reaching the end of his 90-day, 21-hour, 34-minute, 41-second journey, Shiraishi said: "Thank you for turning out in such big numbers to welcome me today! The sky is grey, but the enthusiasm and fun are there. Every time I take the start of the Vendée Globe, I never really know what I'm looking for. But with each edition, I find answers to my questions and I understand why I participate. It pushes me to give everything I have."
Shiraishi had to cope with damage to his vessel's hydro generator and other problems including with solar panels, the Vendée Globe website reported.
Looking back on his 28,696-nautical mile journey, Shiraishi commented, "It was the fifth time I had sailed around the world, and each time the problems were different. This is what makes this exercise unique and exciting. It's also what keeps me from getting tired of it: each round the world is a new adventure."
Continue reading the full story, which includes insights on soccer, baseball and boxing, on SportsLook.
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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.
