2023.3.24
All Set to Take on the World
After competing in the 400-meter relay at the Tokyo Olympics as a fourth-year college student, in 2022 Mei Kodama joined the Mizuno Track Club, which has produced numerous Olympic athletes in the past. Kodama took out the 200-meter sprint title for the second year running in last year’s national championships, and was part of the 400-meter relay team at the world championships. At the Japan National Industrial Teams Championships, she recorded a 100-meter sprint time just 0.03 seconds outside the national record. Kodama’s ambition is insatiable: “My times are getting close to world class,” she says, “but I’m still not really up there.”
- -What changed when you joined Mizuno?
- Ever since senior high school I’ve been wearing Mizuno shoes. They’ve been an indispensable part of competition for me. My objective is to take on the world, and Mizuno’s environment will allow me to work toward that objective. Many other members of the club are competing at world standard too, which keeps me on my toes in a good sense. The university is still my training base, but this new environment allows me to focus more on competition. Even beyond training, I now have more time to sort out my mindset, thought process, and approach to competition, so it feels like I have more internal resources to draw on, which I’m enjoying. I really want to achieve results here, not least for the sake of all the people who support me.
- - You achieved a series of great results during your first year out of university. How do you rate your own performance?
- I think my times made a strong impact, but I’m not focused on beating national records. Right now I have my sights set on the world. I’m getting closer in terms of times, but I still feel I’m a long way off. I can’t say that my form is stable, and I’m not dominating in Japan. I’m still a long way from attaining my true peak, so that’s what I want to work towards.
- - What do you need in order to keep performing well and setting records?
- Insatiable ambition. Athletes overseas are professionals: they devote their whole lives to running, but I’m not in that league yet. I need to change the way I approach competition, and remain hungry for greater success rather than being content with what I’ve got now.
- - Expectations for the Paris Olympics are high, but what significance does Olympic competition have for you personally?
- I was aiming for the Tokyo Olympics but wasn’t really expecting to make the team, so my preparation was inadequate and I wasn’t competitive. Achieving a competitive result at the Paris Olympics is the goal that drives me in training now. This year I want to build up to Paris by getting better results than last year in every competition I enter.
- - What lies beyond the Olympics for you?
- I don’t set goals like “this will be my final competition.” The time left to me as a competitor is limited, so I plan to keep challenging myself, so I can live out the scenarios I’m hoping for. It’s important to enjoy sports, but I also think that there’s something to be gained purely from competing seriously. When I feel I’ve done all I can, with a sense of both excitement and nervous tension, that’s where my goal will lie.
10 Questions ~Shinken Wanna Know!~
- What is the most favorite food and the least favorite food of yours?
- a smooth pudding. I give one to myself as a treat. / shrimp
- What do you always keep in the refrigerator?
- Soy milk, egg, and natto. I am careful of nutrition as much as I do not feel stress.
- What do you often buy at a convenient store without thinking?
- “ Sandwiches with steamed chicken and egg ( and it says you can get protein with this sandwiches.)” I always look for one.
- What do you like to do?
- Reading books. Since I read a book written by an athlete, I started reading many books, regardless of its genre.
- How do you get rid of stress?
- I rearrange my room. I clean up a part of a room.
- What is your favorite item you bought recently?
- Pierced earrings. I got my ears pierced when I started working.
- What do you do in your time off?
- I like to get up early, drink coffee, and read a book in the morning.
- What is your favorite saying or phrase?
- Whatever will be will be.
- What do you want to be doing in ten years from now?
- I hope I will have been running as an athlete.
- What three things do you need in life?
- money, friend, and goal.
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| Affiliation | MIZUNO |
