Re Interview

Taro
Nakamura 中村 太郎

2023.2.24

Competitive Season Begins in Leadup to Paris Olympics

When the COVID-19 pandemic began shortly after he entered university, Taro Nakamura was unable either to compete or to train as usual. He used this time to transform himself physically and quietly pursue a training regimen that led to a solid performance at the national championships and a rise in the rankings. He has even been selected for the national team. 2023 is a make-or-break year for Nakamura, as he looks ahead to the Paris Olympics.

―The past few years have been dominated by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Tokyo Olympics. How have you been spending your time?

The pandemic was tough because we couldn’t access the usual training environment, but I devoted a lot of time to building myself up physically. The main competitive events in Japan were still held, and I was even able to compete overseas, so my motivation didn't drop off. In order to make the national team, which is the starting point for going to the Olympics, it’s essential to continue performing well at the national championships. So, my immediate objective was to be selected for the national team consistently.

―What impact did the Tokyo Olympics have?

My goal is to compete at the Olympics, but that wasn’t possible with my ranking at the time of the Tokyo Olympics, so, to be honest, I just cheered on the Japanese athletes. I also looked ahead to the Paris Olympics, and as I competed in other events, I thought about what I could do in order to be competitive with athletes overseas, who are blessed with greater physical prowess. I decided that I needed to build more physical bulk and power, and improve my instantaneous force, so I gained around 10 kilograms in bodyweight.

―What changed after that physical transformation?

People around me started saying that I had grown larger physically and gained power and speed. During the pandemic I didn’t have many opportunities to measure this change for myself, but at the 2021 central Japan championships I made it to the final eight, which convinced me that my approach hadn’t been mistaken. That was when my national ranking started to go up, and I joined the national team and toured overseas. Competing against foreign athletes helped me overcome my aversion to physically larger opponents, and I gained the ability to approach competition with a positive mindset rather than shrinking away from it.

―What’s your next goal?

I want to continue being selected for the national team, win international competitions, and represent Japan at the Paris Olympics. To do so will require confidence and a strong sense of self. Japanese athletes, me included, compete tenaciously with world-class techniques and finely-honed strategies. Athletes overseas tend to explode with emotion when they win a point, and have no hesitation in expressing their discontent. I feel that an important element of success is to be yourself, to overcome challenges with mental energy and feeling. I want to be the type of athlete who is always hungry for success and allows their feelings to come to the fore.