Tomoa Narasaki Akiyo Noguchi Yudai Ikeda

Today I'd like to interview. I ask mainly about the Olympic game.

To start, please tell me your final result and straight feeling.

Tomoa: My target was the gold, but I couldn't reach it and ended in 4th.

I've been managing myself and I was in good condition to believe that I could win.

In the first Olympic

I couldn't control body as I thought. And many other factors...I was 4th....

Akiyo: It was my final competition and I could win a bronze medal. Thank you.

Although I got a medal, the color of it isn't as what I expected.

I wasn't fully satisfied with my climbing. So it's like I'm half happy and half sad.

Tomoa & Ikedai: Oh...Congratulation!!

Akiyo: Thank you for your support.

Tomoa: I was one of your supporter.

Ikedai: With a paper board!

Ikedai: What is the biggest emotion comes up in your mind after the Olympic games?

Tomoa: mmm...

Sad.

Since sport climbing has been selected in 2016, I've been working hard to enhance my ability for five year.

Despite that fact, I could not get the gold and I'm naturally so sad.

It's sad...

Akiyo: Me. When it was over. I was simply frustrated. Just like other competition.

I woke up in the next morning, then I started to think “Why I could not hold that one move?”, “I should've climbed better.”

It was my last, but I was thinking about next training to be better in the next game.

I definitely felt that it wasn't my last climbing.

On the other hand, I received a lot of voices to celebrate me.

I was in peaceable mind because many people who supported me were happy.

It's been about two weeks after Olympics. I feel I'm released after long-long competitor life.

Ikedai: Were you nervous in the Olympic games?

Tomoa: More than ever.

I do not feel nervous in normal days. This time, rather not me, but the environment was totally different.

Japan national team, organization size, things were so huge. And that made me nervous I suppose.

Akiyo: I was quite calm. The past competition were more hard.

For example in the world championships 2019, Hachioji, I was more nervous. So the Olympics wasn't my worst one.

Tomoa: We are different. Miho Nonaka san also said she wasn't so nervous.

Akiyo: I was more focused to think about it as the last one. Not about a word of Olympic.

Ikedai: I think both of you two are mentally so-so-so tough.

However after speed, I saw even you Tomoa got very frustrated. So if I were there, I may be exploded.

I guess many people who were watching you could feel sick with a sweat in hands.

Ikedai: Please tell me about other memorable climbers in the Olympics.

Tomoa: I say Colin Duffy. When sport climbing were chosen as the Olympic in 2016, he wasn't the strongest in the US.

He was just a new comer in the world cups.

It's like he was the lucky one to be a Olympian.

Since then, I guess he was so motivated and grown so much. He was climbing as hard as he could and was advancing.

Akiyo: How about Adam?

Tomoa: I believe Adam and I were both thinking about same thing.

To Win.

Both should have been...well I do not his true feeling there, but I understand that we both thought that one of us were the gold medalist.

I felt we weren't so friendly during the game.

When it was over, we had a kind of sympathy that Tokyo2020 wasn't for both of us.

We both were extremely focusing on the gold medal. Just like that.

Akiyo: I was quite impressed when I saw Adam's very first SNS shot right after the Olympics.

It was a photo that Adam and Tomoa were shaking hands. I did not expect Adam to use that moment for one.

Tomoa: I'm honored to be there. Adam is for sure the most variable climber among the current competitors.

I'm motivated to climb against him and I hope Adam feels the same way as I do. Never know.

Ikedai: From the audience point of view, Jakob Schubert was one of our favorite.

Tomoa: He has shown “the soul of lead specialist.” In both qualifications and finals.

Akiyo: After the boulder qualification, Jakob was in 17th and he was way behind to be the finalists.

Ikedai: all nations were cheering him up in the lead final.

Tomoa: Yes, it was like all hope to top was on him.

Akiyo: I feel Jakob had so much pressure on him since it is not an ordinary thing that Austrian athlete to be the summer Olympic medalist.

Tomoa: The way Jakob climb is beautiful. He goes up as if he never feels damage he gets.

Tomoa: How about you, Akiyo?

Akiyo: I reckon all finalists had every stories, so much impressions. I really felt so.

I start talk about the winner, Janja Garnbret.

As she wrote on her SNS, she was crying at the isolation right after she made mistake in speed qualifications.

Tomoa: I heard it's true.

Akiyo: Everybody were thinking that Janja were too strong enough on both boulder and lead.

No matter what she came in speed, she was to pass qualifications and to win.

That's everybody thought. However she has been fighting and she felt she wasn't the best as other expected.

During the winning interview, she said all finalists were very strong. She said she never knew who would be the winner.

She is always modest and persistent.

We admire her. We know she's been working hard.

She has been wining many many times, but still she did not said she could win.

That kind of sense is really great. I admire her as the strong competitor and I feel that is the power of Janja to keep winning.

Never to be proud of the results by oneself. I really like that style.

She is strong because she never forget to be ambitious after many golds.

Tomoa: Men are likely to be conceited....

Ikedai: So even Janja Garnbret had a lot of stress on her as Adam and Tomoa had?

Akiyo: I just found that Slovenian has won 3 gold medals in Tokyo2020 including Janja.

So there should have been so much pressure on her to be destinated.

To Bring back the gold medal is just to be a new hero.

Even in total, there were 5 medalists in this summer. People in Slovenia were hoping Janja to win.

For sure she was the No.1 gold candidate, so she should've had been under so much pressure.

I can understand she was really happy. I was also happy to see her win. She was so great.

Akiyo: Next I talk about the silver medalist, Miho Nonaka. (Akiyo call her Miho.)

I think she had been in so hard time since she was involved in the middle of the issue of Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS.

In Hachioji 2019, she was 2nd among Japanese climbers.

But it took one year and three months until she was elected as the Olympian candidate.

I believe she experienced crazy time which I would not be able to imagine properly.

It felt she had extraordinary disadvantage because of CAS.

Just before the Olympic, she got injury. Actually she often gets injury.

I've been competing together with Miho for long time, so I can see she's mentally become very strong.

Ikedai: For you two, now is the another turning point. What is your next target?

Tomoa: If this were a manga cartoon, it's definitely the beginning of PART2.

My close target is to win the world championships in Russia.

And the big target is to be the most strongest climber in the history with all wins.

Akiyo: Do you mean for competitions?

Tomoa: Yes. But also for climbing in the nature. I want to climb V17.

Ikedai: V17?? Is it??

Tomoa: It's maximum.

Akiyo: What's V17 in Japanese grade? 5, 6, 7-dan??

Tomoa: V15 is 5-dan. V16 is 6-dan. So V17 is 6-Dan+.

Ikedai: Only in overseas?? Tomoa: Yes.

Akiyo: We should double check the grading.

Ikedai: OK.

Tomoa: I heard that you cannot even start.

Nalle Hukkataival did “Burden of Dreams 9A (V17)

And another one, Return of the Sleepwalker.

Ikedai: We should go overseas shooting project.

Tomoa: Do you know Daniel Woods?

Ikedai: Yes.

Tomoa: He could not start....He took 4 years to send it. More than 10,000 attempts...

Akiyo: My circumstances are totally changed after the Olympics.

I'm not a competitor anymore. No completions. No Olympics.

From now on, I'll challenge new things with my experience.

I want to use time to “think” and “find”. It's a preparation period.

Is just right after the Olympics, so I am visiting many people who supported me.

TV shows and a lot of things on going. I shall take time.

Tomoa: What is the direction? Where are you heaing?

Akiyo: Yes. I've been talking in front of people and media. I want to make climbing more popular in positive way.

In Tokyo2020, Japanese climber could not get the gold medal. I was really sad.

So in Paris, or in Los Angeles, I want Japanese climber to win the gold.

I wish I can support top climbers.

I cannot get it anymore, but I hope someone else can get it.

Tomoa: Ikedai & Akiyo coach.

Akiyo: Boulder and Lead. For Speed, we must start to be a candidate of Olympian.

I want support Japanese climbers.

Ikedai: Please give a comment for all fans.

Tomoa: We both may have similar idea though.

Since Tokyo2020 was postponed, I've been having long difficult time.

Even in that time, I could keep trying hard because I heard your cheerful voice.

For example, “Narasaki san! Get the gold!!” “Gamba!” Those voice were so important.

I really love you.

Ikedai: Thank you so much.

Tomoa: I appreciate your support.

Akiyo: Climbing were truly a minor sport when I started to compete. Nothing about Olympics.

I know many people who's been with me for long time. I've been climbing with them.

My family and close friends. Trainers, coaches, sponsors. People in Ryugasaki city.

People around the world. A lot. I really thank everyone.

Now it's my turn to give my feeling back to all. My next aim is all about that actions.

For millions Gamba I've got, I am giving all back to you. For everyone. I really will do.

Tomoa: Not by climbing.

Akiyo: Yes. I see bright future with all new young climbers.

I'll do what I specially can do.

Tomoa & Ikedai: Can't wait you do.

Tomoa: I am still far away from Akiyo.

Thank you for supporting us in Tokyo2020.

Tomoa: I'll climb to win the world championships in Russia. Thank you for continuous support.

Akiyo: I'm not a competitor anymore. So please watch my next challenge. Thank you.

Ikedai: I am heading to speed world cup in Seoul, South Korea.

Tomoa: So cool!!

Bye bye.

Akiyo: This is the actual medal of Olympics.

It's in the wooden case with Japanese production technology.

Underneath the case, there is the Olympic mark. A gold budge.

The case should be only for the medalist.

Tomoa: Is it a deer?

Akiyo: No!? Deer?

Tomoa: It's a deer!

Akiyo: No. lol

Akiyo: Here is the medal.

This is heads with Athens. Same design for all Olympic games.

The tail is designed for each games. This it Tokyo design.

On the side, “Sport Climbing, Women's Combined” is marked.

This is only one medal in the world.

Tomoa: Wow. Isn't it the gold?

Akiyo: Yes. I though it was gold when I first got it.

But the real gold was much more shiny gold.

It's the heaviest medal ever in the Olympics. 500g.

Rope is out of this part.

Ikedai: You said the biggest ever?

Akiyo: Yes. The biggest and the heaviest.

Cut. Nice--.

English subtitle by FreiHeit

Thank you for watching. ARIGATOU TOKYO2020!!