Haruka Kitaguchi carried the hopes of a nation on her shoulders at the World Athletics Championships. As the reigning world and Olympic champion in the women’s javelin throw, Kitaguchi was front in center in most of the promotional materials for the world championships. She was Team Japan's star athlete. She was seen as the host nation's best chance to win gold.
The pressure had only increased when Kitaguchi finally took center stage at National Stadium on Friday night. Japan had only earned one medal at the world championships — Hayato Katsuki’s bronze in the 35-kilometer race walk — and Kitaguchi was expected to deliver more hardware.
The buildup made her stunning exit in the qualification round all the more deflating. Kitaguchi has struggled with an elbow injury since the early summer, and the weight of competition and expectation was too much for the fragile joint to bear.
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