Haruka Kitaguchi celebrates winning the gold medal in the women’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Haruka Kitaguchi will compete in the women’s javelin final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
15:25 JST, August 11, 2024
PARIS — Haruka Kitaguchi could not find the right words to describe her joy and excitement after winning the gold medal in the women’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Kitaguchi took the gold medal with a throw of 65.80 meters. She gave Japan its first athletics gold in 20 years, since Koji Murofushi and Mizuki Noguchi won gold in the men’s hammer throw and women’s marathon respectively at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
“I’m happy, but happy isn’t a strong enough word [to describe my feelings]”, said Kitaguchi.
The 26-year-old javelin thrower, currently ranked world number one in the event, gave it her all from her first throw, hoping to put pressure on her rivals. Her javelin landed at a season-best distance of 65.80 metres, giving her a stunning victory over second-placed Jo-Ane van Dyk of South Africa by a margin of 1.87 metres.
At the start of the season, Kitaguchi struggled with a series of poor results. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have someone who believed in me,” she said after winning the medal. “I didn’t know who was on my side, but I’m very grateful for everyone who has been there all the time.”
She also said, “I threw 70 meters in my dreams” every day in the Olympic Village. When asked if she could pull off such a feat at next year’s World Championships in Tokyo, she laughed, “Well, hopefully I can do it a little bit sooner.”
