Yuki Joseph Nakajima may have finished sixth in Thursday’s 400-meter final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, but even getting there in the first place was enough to make him one of the breakout hometown heroes of these worlds.
Nakajima was the first Japanese runner to make the 400 final since Susumu Takano in 1991 and he managed to finish one place higher than his senior compatriot, a man Nakajima describes as a “hero.” His first-round time of 44.44 seconds also set a new national record, cementing his place as Japan’s standout athlete at the distance.
“Having had the experience of running in a final, the difference between myself and the medal winners became very clear,” he said. “Once you’re in a final, most of the athletes are already very fatigued, and it becomes about how much more you can raise yourself from there. It really is the ultimate battle of mental strength.
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