Three-time Olympian Chiharu Igaya in a 1952 file photo. (PUBLIC DOMAIN)
Seventy years ago, Chiharu Igaya became the first Japanese athlete to earn an Olympic medal in Alpine skiing.
Igaya famously collected the silver in the men's slalom event at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics. He became the first Japanese to claim a medal in an Alpine skiing competition. To this day, he's the only skier from Japan to receive an Olympic medal in the skiing discipline.
The Hokkaido Prefecture native, now 94, is back in Italy for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games. He attended the IOC General Assembly in Milan on Tuesday, February 3.
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry mentioned Igaya during this formal gathering of the organization's members and media. A former IOC vice president, Igaya has been an honorary member since 2012.
At the 145th IOC Session Coventry said, "I would like for us to share in recognizing one of our honorary members. For him, these [Olympic] Games must bring back many, many fond memories."
Decades before her own success as an Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe, Chiharu Igaya became a household name in Japan.
"With that medal, he became a national sporting hero, but above all, he fulfilled his boyhood dream, becoming an Olympian and an Olympic medalist," Coventry said, according to Kyodo News, in her speech. "Thank you so much for being an inspiration to us all. We are so proud and happy that you are a part of our Olympic community."
Chiharu Igaya Happy to Be Recognized
What was Igaya's reaction to the warm reception he received at the IOC General Assembly, including Coventry's remarks?
"I was happier than when I got the medal, I guess it's better to live long," Igaya said, according to Kyodo News.
He joked about his role as one of the elder statesmen of the Olympics on the same day.
"[Winning a medal] definitely changes your life, doesn't it?" Igaya commented, Daily Sports reported.
"For 70 years, no one else [from Japan] won a medal [in Alpine skiing]. So they keep dragging this old body out [to events and media appearances] forever," he added with a laugh.
Even at his age, Daily Sports reported, Igaya remains involved in skiing as a participant.
"I can't do it all the time, but occasionally," he was quoted as saying. "I've been doing sports since I was 2, I suppose."
From Ambitious Athlete to Olympic Medalist
Ira Berkow, a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2001, wrote a profile of Chiharu Igaya for The New York Times during the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
In the article, Berkow traced Igaya's journey from boyhood skier to Olympic medalist.
"After World War II, Igaya became a national star, even beating Tadashi Katagiri, some 10 years his senior, who had been considered the best skier in the country," Berkow wrote.
"In 1948, he knew two things about the Olympics. One was, the greatest athletes in the world compete against each other. Second was, Japan, because of punishment for the war, was not allowed to participate in the Games."
"Then, one evening in 1950, after a hard day's training, Igaya's father, Kunio, greeted him: 'Chiharu, I have good news for you.' "
His father relayed the news that Japan, which was banned from the Olympics after World War II, was on the verge of being readmitted to the IOC. As a result, Japanese athletes became eligible to compete at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games.
''From that day forward,'' Chiharu Igaya said, ''I began preparing for my chance for the Olympics.''
He wound up competing in the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympics, becoming a national icon in the process.
Chiharu Igaya plans to stay in Italy for the entirety of the 2026 Winter Games.
He offered a few words of wisdom on chasing medals.
"Getting too worked up is no good," Igaya said, according to Daily Sports. "You shouldn't fixate on winning or losing. If you fully unleash the skills you've honed day after day, the results will follow, and I believe you'll get closer to a medal."
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Baseball
Yoshida Named Final Addition to Japan's WBC Roster
Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida was picked to fill the final spot on defending champion Japan's 30-man roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
An announcement was made on Wednesday, February 4.
Coming off shoulder surgery, Yoshida only appeared in 55 MLB games in 2025. He hit .266 with four homers and 26 RBIs.
In three MLB seasons, all with the Red Sox, he owns a career batting average of .282.
Yoshida was a key contributor for Samurai Japan in the 2023 WBC. Most notably, he drove in 13 runs.
The 32-year-old aspires to make a big impact in the upcoming tournament.
"I want to savor the pleasure of competing alongside the best team, staff and players, and I will fulfill my role to help Samurai Japan achieve victory," Yoshida said, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Samurai Japan's training camp begins on February 14 in Miyazaki. Its first WBC game is on March 6 against Taiwan at Tokyo Dome.
Sumo
Retirement Ceremony Held for Terunofuji
Former Mongolian-born yokozuna Terunofuji, winner of 10 Emperor's Cup, wrapped up sumo's traditional ceremonies associated with retirement on Saturday, January 31.
The last activity on his list: a topknot cutting ceremony, which was held at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Current yokozuna Hoshoryu and ex-grand champion Hakuho, also retired, took part in the ritual. Terunofuji's two Mongolian compatriots were among "around 330 people helping cut his hair to remove the topknot worn by sumo wrestlers," Kyodo News reported.
After battling numerous injuries, Terunofuji retired in January 2025. Upon retirement, he became a sumo elder.
He oversees more than 30 wrestlers in his present job as Isegahama stablemster.
"I want to raise star wrestlers who are mentally strong and compassionate, so that they can rival me," Terunofuji was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.
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Basketball
Kawamura Making Solid Contributions for Bulls
In his injury-shortened season, point guard Yuki Kawamura has maximized his minutes with the Chicago Bulls in recent games.
Kawamura made his NBA regular-season debut on January 31 against the Miami Heat. He had six points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 11 minutes in the Bulls' seven-point road win.
"I've been a big Chicago Bulls fan my whole life. I'm so happy to be here," Kawamura said, according to the Chicago Sports Network.
He added, "I just wanted to bring energy from the bench. But [I've] got to be better, I'm not satisfied yet."
The Eastern Conference rivals squared off again on Sunday, February 1 in Chicago. In the rematch, Kawamura logged 26-plus minutes off the bench. He finished with six points, six rebounds and six assists in a 43-point loss.
The Bulls were back in action on Tuesday, February 3 against the host Milwaukee Bucks. Kawamura had five points, five rebounds, seven assists and a pair of steals in just over 26 minutes. He was 1-for-5 on 3-point shots in struggling Chicago's 131-115 defeat.
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Columbia Women to Participate in Summer Tour of Japan
The Columbia University women's basketball team is coming to Japan in the summer of 2026. On various social media platforms, the New York City-based university's team announced its trip dates (August 11-21) with stops in Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Tokyo.
"Culture, competition, and unforgettable experiences ahead," reads a snippet from a post on the team's Facebook page.
The Lions are 14-7 in the 2025-26 season (through January 31).
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
