World Athletics Championships 2017 Concludes Bolt's Final Race Japan Wins 3 Medals
The 16th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (hosted by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), official partners: TDK, Toyota Motor Corporation, ASICS, Seiko Holdings, Eurovision, TBS Television) held in London, England, concluded on August 13.
Over 2,000 top athletes from more than 200 countries and regions—the largest number in history—competed in 10 days of intense competition.
Japan dispatched a team of approximately 50 athletes, including those in the spotlight events of sprinting and marathon.
(Photo: Fort Kishimoto)
Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who announced his retirement at this tournament and drew significant attention, finished third in the men's 100-meter final. The gold medal went to Justin Gatlin of the United States. Japan's three hopefuls, Hakim Sani Brown, Asuka Cambridge, and Shuhei Tada, all fell short in the semifinals.
In the men's marathon, Yuki Kawauchi, who struggled with falls and other issues, finished 9th, missing the podium. In the women's marathon, where Japan had achieved podium finishes in 10 consecutive Games, Mao Kiyota's 16th place was the best result for a Japanese athlete.
In the men's 4x400m relay, Jamaica, the favorites, withdrew mid-race after anchor Bolt injured his leg. Japan's Tada, Iizuka Shota, Kiryu Yoshihide, and Fujimitsu Kenji delivered a strong performance to take third place, securing Japan's first-ever medal in this event at the World Championships.
In the men's 50km race walk on the final day, Rio Olympic medalist Hirohisa Arai won silver and Hayato Kobayashi took bronze, bringing Japan's total medal count to three.
■ Partner Activities
Official partners actively promoted their brands by setting up booths and pavilions in the adjacent "Hero Village," offering engaging content for visitors.
TDK, a sponsor since the inaugural event in 1983, served as the bib sponsor for the men's athletes and operated a special booth. The booth featured an interactive corner using sensor technology where visitors could experience how far they could run within the 9.58-second world record time for the men's 100m. It also showcased a diorama town depicting the company's vision of the future and offered VR product demonstrations. These activities conveyed TDK's technology, history, and message for the future.Official Website: http://www.tdk.co.jp/athletic/
Toyota Motor Corporation, a partner since 2003, served as the women's bib sponsor and provided the official cars for the event. It contributed numerous vehicles, including the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle "Mirai" as the marathon lead car, supporting the event's operations. At its booth, Toyota displayed the SUV "C-HR" and the compact EV concept model "i-TRIL." Visitors also enjoyed a full-size simulator game featuring the sports car "86," where they could test their driving skills.
Official Website: http://www.toyota.co.jp/jpn/events/sponsorship/athletics/
ASICS provided shoes and apparel as the official sportswear for event staff and volunteers. Its booth featured an area showcasing the company's history through an archive of past products and introduced the uniforms supplied to national teams for this tournament. Content allowing visitors to experience world records in events like the high jump, triple jump, and sprint races, along with a photo corner on the podium, further promoted the brand image. (Photo provided by ASICS)
Official Website: http://www.asics.com/jp/ja-jp/sekairikujo2017
Seiko, serving as the Official Timekeeper for 15 consecutive World Championships, handled timing and measurement for various events. Its pavilion featured the "9.58 Seconds Challenge" game, where visitors could test how accurately they could measure world records using the official stopwatch, and a photo corner utilizing starting blocks, attracting many visitors. The shop sold limited-edition watches and timers for the event.
Official Website: http://www.seiko.co.jp/london2017/jp/
TBS Television appointed actor Yuji Oda (for the 11th consecutive Games, marking his 20th year) and freelance announcer Miho Nakai as main casters for the 10-day competition period. They broadcast the Games for a total of over 90 hours, the longest coverage in history.
Official website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/seriku/
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