During this Summer's Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a total of 10 Keio students and alumni competed as athletes in their specialized events. To celebrate their achievements, the university held a "President's Reception for 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Athletes," on Tuesday, September 28, in Mita Campus's South School Building Hall. In order to give the utmost priority to the health and safety of the participants and prevent the spread of COVID-19, invitations were limited to athletes and related individuals with the proceedings broadcast live online.
As the athletes entered the hall, the venue exuded a sense of warmth and welcome. A total of seven athletes attended including Saki Takakuwa (graduate of the Faculty of Policy Management) who competed in the Paralympics in Track & Field; Ryota Yamagata (graduate of the Faculty of Policy Management) who was Team Captain of Japan's Olympic delegation and competed in Track & Field; Yuki Koike (graduate of the Faculty of Policy Management) who competed in Track & Field; Hiroki Muto (graduate of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies) who took home a Bronze Medal in the men's team archery event; Miyu Shirako (graduate of the Faculty of Letters) and Wakaba Hara (student at the Faculty of Policy Management) both of whom competed in the women's Rugby event; and Shoma Sato (student at the Faculty of Business and Commerce) who competed in swimming events. (Manami Doi, who represented Japan in Sailing, and Momoka Kinoshita and Yuka Momiki who both competed on Japan's women's soccer team, were unable to attend.) The event began with a performance from the Keio Cheer Group, followed by the Keio Alma Mater, "The Juku-ka", and words of welcome from President Itoh. Students from the Athletic Association subsequently interviewed each of the athletes in turn, progressing amiably from questions about their feelings before and during the Games, to their mental preparation for their events, and finally to anecdotes that related their experiences on a more personal level. The event came to a close after President Itoh presented each athlete with a commemorative award for their accomplishments.
You can view the archived live stream of the event on the following page:
[President's Reception for 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Athletes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNGiFZqVKQo
Related news:
- The Close of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- Hiroki Muto secures bronze for Japan in the Men’s Team Archery event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games