Last Update |
| |
28 Apr 2022 |
Sport Specific Information |
| Club / Team |
Nittoh Kogaku: Suwa, JPN |
Further Personal Information |
| Higher education |
Commerce - Meiji University: Tokyo, JPN |
General Interest |
| Injuries |
In 2011 he fractured two ribs and damaged his lung and liver. (Athlete, 23 Jun 2012) |
| Famous relatives |
His aunt Mieko Fujimori was a Japanese figure skater who competed at the 1962 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. His uncle Hiroshi Ishii competed in swimming and won a silver medal in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. His wife Reiko Takeda represented Japan in equestrian jumping at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Nov 2020; nikkansports.com, 12 Jul 2017; FEI YouTube channel, 15 Sep 2016; Athlete, 23 Jun 2012; FEI, 24 Sep 2010) |
| Hero / Idol |
Japanese equestrian jumper Takeichi Nishi. (Athlete, 23 Jun 2012) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Name of coach |
Dirk Schrade [personal], GER, from 2009 |
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
He began riding at age 10. |
Further Personal Information |
| Occupation |
Athlete, Horse Trainer |
| Languages |
English, Japanese |
General Interest |
| Nicknames |
Yoshi (dirk-schrade.de, 01 Dec 2017) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"It is important to know your qualities." (atozinba.com, 12 Jul 2019) |
Further Personal Information |
| Residence |
Germany |
Sport Specific Information |
| Why this sport? |
He initially got involved in equestrian sport as a hobby. "At about age 14, I started riding every day and enjoying show jumping competitions. My first time eventing was for a university competition, and we had no choice but to do all three disciplines." |
General Interest |
| Other information |
RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
He considered retiring from the sport following the 2012 Olympic Games in London, but decided to prolong his career when Tokyo won the bid to host the 2020 Games. "It was the most painful mistake to lose balance and fall off my horse at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. I will never forget that mistake because I was aiming for a medal. When I saw the news [about Tokyo being awarded the Games] on television in Germany, I thought that it was my fate and mission." (Japan Equestrian Federation YouTube channel, 12 Dec 2020; ntv.co.jp, 01 Feb 2019)
LIVING ABROAD
After graduating from university he quit the sport for a period and began working at a cockroach extermination company. However, he was inspired after watching the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney on television, and moved to England in 2001 in order to pursue the sport again. Following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he relocated from England to Germany. (sponichi.co.jp, 18 Feb 2020; Twitter profile, 06 Jul 2017; atozinba.com, 08 Jun 2017; JEF, 20 Apr 2017) |
| Awards and honours |
He received the Best Athletic Award in the equestrian section at the Japanese Sports Awards in 2005, 2007, and 2011. (crane.co.jp, 14 Jan 2011; olympicfun.seesaa.net, 07 May 2008) |
| Hobbies |
Fishing, listening to music, driving. (Japan Equestrian Federation YouTube channel, 12 Dec 2020) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Competing at the 2005 Badminton Horse Trials in England. (Japan Equestrian Federation YouTube channel, 12 Dec 2020) |
International Debut |
| Year |
2003 |
| Competing for |
Japan |
