Haruka Kitaguchi can expect a hero's welcome when she takes to the field at Tokyo's National Stadium for the World Athletics Championships next week but recent injury woes mean the Olympic javelin champion may struggle to defend her title.
The 27-year-old shot to fame in 2023 when her final throw of 66.73 meters in Budapest made her the first Japanese woman to win a world title in a field event.
Her celebrity status in Japan reached new heights last year when she repeated the feat in Paris, becoming the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic track and field gold outside of the marathon.
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