Waseda tornado will shake Athens up !

The time has come! The world's attention will focus on the Athens Olympic Games from 13 August and the Paralympics from 17 September.

From Waseda, five current students and eight alumni will participate in the Games. (The number is correct at the time when this issue was edited.) Please give hearty cheers to our athletes who will compete with players from all over the world. We will experience a heated summer in Athens!

current students

Hiroyasu Tsuchie [Athletics, Men's 100m and 4×100m Relay]

Tsuchie is a fourth year PhD student at the Graduate School of Human Sciences. He participated in the Atlanta Olympics when he was a senior at the School of Human Sciences. He has been working at Fujitsu, and at the same time studying at the Graduate School. Now he is also working as an assistant coach of the Waseda track and field club. This year he has exceeded his best record (100m race, 10'21''). This time also exceeded Olympic standard record (A)!
>>Please read article "People" .

Yuhei Tokunaga [Men's Soccer]

He is a junior at the School of Human Sciences. He belongs to the Waseda Soccer Club. He graduated from Kunimi High School, well-known for its soccer club. Since his high school years, he has participated in international games as a member of the national youth team. Since 2003 he has been a very active player at the FC TOKYO and he is specified as a special player by the JFA and J-League. Especially, when it comes to man-to-man defence, he exerts unmatched talent. He often plays offence and he assisted the winning goal in the U-20 match against England in November 2003.

Mikiko Hagiwara [Women's Basketball]

She is a fifth-year student at the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences. She was a member of basketball team of Kyodo Petroleum Co.Ltd. (now Japan Energy). In the Japan League of basketball, she was the scoring champion for five consecutive seasons starting in 1993. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, she was placed 5th in the average score ranking. She has played as the ace player in Japan. After she participated in WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) in 1997 and 1998, she retired in January 1999. And then, she entered the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences (the evening school) in 2000 so that she could start the academic study which she could not do before. She has been a coach of Waseda women's basketball team since February 2001. She will participate in the Athens Olympics as a coach of the women's national basketball team.

Jumpei Kimura [Swimming, Paralympics]

He is a second-year student at the School of Education. In the Paralympic Swimming world, he is recognized as a promising young swimmer. Last year he won the championship of the 50m freestyle, and got the second prize of the 100m free style at the Japan handicapped swimmer's championships. He won the championships of the 400m free relay, the 100m free style and the 100m breaststroke and got the second prize of the 50m free style at the FESPIC youth tournament held in Hong Kong. Though he feels a little nervous, his fighting spirit is strong enough to “aim for the top”.

Jun'ichi Kawai [Swimming, Paralympics]

He is a second-year MA student at the Graduate School of Education. He is a member of Waseda University swimming club. After his graduation from the School of Education in 1998, he had taught at Maihama Junior High School in Shizuoka Prefecture. He took a study leave and entered the graduate school in 2003. He participated in Barcelona (two Silver medals and three Bronze medals) and Atlanta (two Gold medals, a Silver medal and a Bronze medal) and Sydney (two gold medals, and three silver medals). The Athens Paralympic Games are his 4th entry. This time he is the captain of the swimming team. We strongly expect that he will get medals again.

alumni

Yoriko Okamoto [Taekwondo, over 67-kilogram weight division]

She graduated from the School of Human Sciences in 1996, and works at Runes Kanazawa Co. Ltd. She won the third prize at the Asian Games in 1998, and a Bronze medal in the 67-kilogram weight division at Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

Takayo Kondo [Women's Pole Vault]

She graduated from the School of Human Sciences in 1998, and works at Hasegawa Sports Facilities Co. Ltd. She won victories at the national championships in 2002 and 2004, and got the second prize at the Asian Games in 2003. She holds the national record.

Hidetaka Yamada [Men's Badminton, Singles]

He graduated from the School of Human Sciences in 1999, and works at Nihon Unisys Co. Ltd. He won victories at the Finland International Singles in 2004 and the Croatia International Singles in 2004. He has participated in the Olympic Games twice in a row.

Noriko Inada [Women's Swimming 100m Backstroke]

She graduated from the School of Education in 2001, and belongs to Central Sports Co. Ltd. She won 5th place in the 100m Backstroke at Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. This is her third entry in the Olympic Games, after the 1992 and 2000 games.

Akiko Iwamoto [Women's Rowing , Double Sculls]

She graduated from the School of Education in 2001, and works at Iris Ohyama Co. Ltd. She won the 4th place at the world championships (lightweight quadruple). She has participated in the Olymics Games twice without a break.

Susumu Tabuchi [Men's Swimming 400m Individual Medley]

He graduated from the School of Education in 2003, and works at Konami Sports Co. Ltd. He swam in the 200m individual medley in the Sydney Olympic Games 2000.

Tsuyoshi Wada [Baseball]

He graduated from the School of Human Sciences in 2003, and plays for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. He holds the record for the number of strikeouts in the Tokyo Six University Baseball League. He received the rookie award of the Pacific League in 2003.

Mami Sato [Long Jump, Paralympics]

She graduated from the School of Commerce in 2004, and works at Suntory Co. Ltd. She won the victory at Kyusyu Paralympic Games in 2004. (National Record)