Sports × Handicapper Changing the World at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics! (Part 2)

The SPOLUTION team is a solutions unit that tries to create new business opportunities by viewing sports content not just as media slots, but also as solutions. Team members will introduce future sports-related business opportunities from their respective perspectives in a relay column format.

I'm Keisuke Goto, a member of the SPOLUTION team.

Continuing from last time, we welcome Ken Endo, Japan's leading prosthetic leg designer, for another discussion. This time, we finally dive into the main topic: the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Could the Paralympics surpass the Olympics in 2020!?

Goto: So, about sports prosthetics. While we'll mainly focus on the 2020 Paralympics, could you first tell us how technological innovation in sports prosthetics is progressing today?

Endo: Material evolution is huge. Carbon fiber and carbon composites are now being used. These act as springs. Human running motion uses the legs like springs. The ideal is that wearing a sports prosthetic allows you to replicate human motion with less effort, using a spring that's lighter than a human leg. You can jump higher on a trampoline, right? It's exactly the same principle.

 

This might be a bit of a tangent, but the current Olympic 100m world record is 9.58 seconds, set by the legendary Usain Bolt. Meanwhile, the Paralympic (prosthetic) world record is 10.57 seconds. That's a gap of about one second. Now, when was this 10.57 world record set in the Olympics? Believe it or not, it was 100 years ago. In other words, humanity spent 100 years shaving off one second. But Paralympic athletes managed to shave off that same second in just one year. In terms of innovation, we can say a major breakthrough is happening right now.

Goto: I see! At this rate, by 2020, Paralympic athletes' records might surpass those of Olympic athletes.

Endo: I definitely think it's possible, and that's exactly what I'm aiming for with the prosthetic legs I'm developing.

Goto: Wow, that's amazing! So, could you tell us about your goals for the 2020 Paralympics and beyond?

Endo: First, looking at researchers, many focus on publishing papers or long-term research. That's not inherently bad, but the problem is they often struggle to develop a strategy for bringing products to market.
For me, the Paralympics are one catalyst to break that cycle. The Paralympics should be a place to create cutting-edge technology and showcase it to everyone. Beyond that, I want to create a flow where that technology is then applied to develop affordable prosthetics for developing countries, devices to support elderly mobility, or even entertainment-focused devices usable by able-bodied people. Yes, imagine Formula 1 – that might make it easier to understand.

Through the Paralympics, I want to challenge how far cutting-edge technology can push human speed, while also tackling how that same technology can give everyone the joy of movement.
One more thing I've felt since I started designing prosthetic legs is the way people view people with disabilities. Somewhere in my heart, I feel sorry for them. To be honest, I feel that way too. I want to change that.

When Oscar Pistorius, who has prosthetic legs, competed in the London Olympics, I think many people thought he was cool! I want to see even more heroes emerge in 2020 and change the way people view people with disabilities. I want this to be an opportunity to eliminate prejudice against people with disabilities not only in the Paralympics, but in society as a whole.

Goto: Thank you very much. I would like to continue supporting your activities. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Endo: Thank you very much.

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★What is the "Sporolution" team?
It is an internal unit within Dentsu Inc. that approaches sports content not merely as "media assets," but as "solutions" to address business challenges and project issues, and plans accordingly.
The team brings together diverse talents including strategic planners, promotion planners, copywriters, art directors, technologists, consultants, and producers, all with extensive experience in sports planning. Through our Solution Director system, we provide not just "ideas for expression," but also "ideas for solutions" in a one-stop service.