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[JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Haruka Kitaguchi Handles the Pressure to Win in Monaco

In preparation for the Paris Olympics, javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi saved her best for last to claim victory on her final throw in the Diamond League event.

Published

1 month ago

July 14, 2024

Ed Odeven

Javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi is a four-time Japan national champion and the 2023 world champion. (KYODO)

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Reigning world champion Haruka Kitaguchi collected her sixth victory in seven women's javelin competitions in 2024 on Friday, July 12.

The Olympic gold-medal favorite had a season-best throw of 65.21 meters to win the Monaco Diamond League event at Stade Louis II.

Kitaguchi secured the win by launching her best throw of the day on her last attempt. Entering that high-pressure moment, she was in second place.

And then she climbed into first place as her javelin soared farther than it had at any time this year. American Mackenzie Little had to settle for second place (64.74 meters).

Kitaguchi described the victory-clinching moment after the competition wrapped up.

"I gave it my all for the last one," the 26-year-old said, according to Kyodo News before adding, "I managed to go out there without being too intense."

The Paris Olympian added, "I was able to throw 65 meters. That's one big thing."

How did Kitaguchi approach her critical final attempt?

"I thought that I really wanted to win and just gave it everything," Kitaguchi was quoted as saying by The Yomiuri Shimbun. Then she said, "I made sure not to force it too much and just threw it as usual."

Kitaguchi won her fourth national title on June 28 in Niigata with a top throw of 62.87 meters.

Up next: The London Diamond League meet is set for July 20, and Kitaguchi is scheduled to compete.

Haruka Kitaguchi: A Look Back at a Major Feat Early in Her Career

Nearly a decade ago, Haruka Kitaguchi exhibited world-class talent at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Kitaguchi had an event-best throw of 60.35 meters, eclipsing what had been her personal-best mark in the javelin by more than 5 meters entering the competition in mid-July.

That victory, of course, didn't guarantee major success for years to come. But it demonstrated that Kitaguchi had the ability to excel on the global stage.

In 2023, she finished first in the Diamond League final and won her first world title for adult competitors in Budapest.

For Kitaguchi, success in the biggest meets is not surprising. Since 2022, she's won eight Diamond League competitions, putting her skills to the test against the world's best.

In an August 2023 interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Kitaguchi adviser Kazutaka Adachi, a University of Tsukuba associate professor of applied anatomy, said the javelin thrower has learned how to harness her physical strength and make important improvements in recent years.

"She knows her own weaknesses and has made efforts to overcome them," Adachi told the newspaper.

When the Olympic Title Will Be Decided

Haruka Kitaguchi will compete in the Olympic qualification round on August 7. The final is set for August 10, a Saturday, in the French capital.

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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.