"Enjoy" and respond to changing climates and the natural environment. That's the real thrill of triathlon-triathlete player Yuko Takahashi

Swim, ride and run in a variety of natural environments, such as climate and water quality. A triathlon in which one person clears the third competition in order. Yuko Takahashi is in the top 20 in the world, with many powerful players all over the world.
At the Japan Championships held in October 2019, he achieved the second straight victory. We asked Takahashi, who is striving for 2020, about his encounter with triathlon, his future goals, and his thoughts on the natural environment.

The lack of a prominent weapon is my weapon

-How did you start triathlon?

Yuko Takahashi (hereinafter referred to as Takahashi): Due to my father's hobby of doing triathlon, he was already very familiar to me when I realized it. I have been touching triathlon with my brother and sister as if it were an extension of play.
I first participated in the tournament when I was in the second grade of elementary school. It was a short race held at Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa, but I experienced all three events: swimming, riding a bicycle, and running.

— You've been facing triathlon since you were so young.

Takahashi:I agree. However, after that, I once left the triathlon and experienced swimming in the upper grades of elementary school and athletics in junior high school. But I couldn't get a good record in either competition ...
When I thought "I want to change something", I went back to the triathlon again. I was able to win the national tournament in which I participated in the third year of junior high school, and I became firmly determined that "I have only triathlon." After that, I joined the club team in the first year of high school, gained experience such as participating in Asian championships and world championships, and eventually I began to aim for the Olympics.

—Which of the three triathlons is your strongest?

Takahashi: I think the strength is that there is no event that can be said to be "this is a weapon". There are no events that I'm not good at, and I can get results evenly. If you dare to say, you may be good at the "fourth event".

— What is the 4th event?

Takahashi: Switching from swim to bike and bike to run, that is, the transition, is called the "fourth event".
Specifically, I get out of the water, wear a helmet and straddle the bike. Get off the bike, take off your helmet and change to running shoes. It's only a few seconds difference, but it's an important scene that can make a difference. I try to pay attention to details such as creating an image for the transition and adjusting the positioning.

If you can enjoy it, everything will be the next experience

— The fine adjustments affect the outcome. I feel that triathlon is a special sport compared to other sports, including the fourth event, but how about it?

Takahashi:I agree. It may be special in that the environment for playing is diverse. The environment is really different every time. For example, in the case of a swim, it may be done in the sea or in a lake. Even in the same sea, the adjustment method changes depending on whether it is on the beach or in the bay.
Of course, it depends on the weather and climate, so there may or may not be waves, and the water temperature may be high or low. When you start counting, the environment changes so much that there is no end to it. Therefore, according to the environment, I am facing the race while finding out that "the person who uses the body in this way can perform better" and "the person who develops the race in this way can get on the flow better".

—What is important when you race in a harsh environment?

Takahashi: On the mental side, "enjoying" has been important since childhood. Of course, depending on the scene, you may have to drive yourself, and when you get off to a good start, your body may not move as you want and it may be a tough race.
Even so, I thought that if I enjoyed the race, I would be able to live. While responding to what happens in front of you one by one, do your best. That way, there will always be new discoveries that will lead to the next after the race.

— How is it physically?

Takahashi: It is important to prepare according to the climate and weather. For example, if the water temperature is high in a summer race, you may want to keep your body temperature as low as possible by soaking in a cold bath or wearing a cool vest before the race. And, of course, we also try to provide proper nutrition.

The important thing is to prepare for any environment

— Do you feel the climate change through the competition?

Takahashi: Well, it's true that there are many things that you can feel the rise in temperature. A test event for the Tokyo Olympics was held in August of this year, and I felt that the water temperature was higher than in the usual training environment.

— Regarding the test event, the issue of water pollution was also actively reported ^*. What did you feel about the Tokyo Olympics?

* Water pollution problem: At the test event of the 2020 Tokyo Games held in August 2019, the paratriathlon swim was canceled due to the results of the water quality inspection conducted before the competition. It is said that the cause was that domestic wastewater flowed into the sea due to the influence of the typhoon just before.

Takahashi: Of course, I'm curious, but basically, the World Triathlon Union should make an appropriate decision after conducting a thorough water quality survey, so I think that as a player, I can compete with peace of mind.
From my personal experience, I've been swimming in so many different environments, so I don't really care about the dirt itself. Sometimes the race is held in an environment where you can't see your fingertips while swimming, but it's well prepared so it won't have a big impact on your performance.

— I feel the toughness of athletes.

Takahashi: The race environment is the same for all athletes, so it's important to be prepared for that. Triathlon is a race that takes place in a natural environment, so there are things that you can't control on your own. We are always preparing as much as we can to respond.

—Are Takahashi himself thinking about environmental issues and working on them on a daily basis?

Takahashi: It may be a small thing, but when I go shopping, I try to bring my bag or carry my chopsticks without getting disposable chopsticks. After that, try to use the stairs as much as possible. I believe that little by little efforts will lead to major changes, and I try to do what I can.

—Finally, could you tell us about the secret to maintaining Takahashi's motivation and your future goals?

Takahashi: The secret to maintaining motivation is to always have a vision of "I want to be like this." As long as I have a vision, I can overcome anything, and I believe that all I have to do is work on what is in front of me.

The goal is to race at the Tokyo Olympics to my satisfaction. Born in Tokyo and raised in Tokyo, I feel that it is a really big event, and I want to firmly seize this never-ending opportunity to experience the local Olympics as a representative player, and now I am working on training every day. ..

* Honorific titles omitted in the text

Composition: Tomoko Hatano / Photo: Takuya Sakawaki / Editing: Yu Oshima