Atsuki Tsuchiya, 4th year, College of Gastronomy Management

Race walking is a sport where the athletes compete to walk the fastest. There are two rules—one foot must be in contact with the ground at all times, and the supporting leg must remain straightened, without bending the knee, until it is in the vertical upright position. The athletics competition at the FISU World University Games is the tournament in which the best university student race walker is decided, and the most recent tournament held in July 2025, Atsuki Tsuchiya (4th year, College of Gastronomy Management) participated in the men’s 20km race walk where he finished second in the individual event.
“When I hear everyone cheering me on and get to meet new people at competitions, I am glad that I’ve continued with race walking,” says Tsuchiya, who sat down with us to discuss his journey to competing on the world stage.

An injury opens the door to race walking

Tsuchiya started track and field in junior high school, initially specializing in long-distance running. After suffering a stress fracture in his leg in the first year of high school, his coach at the time suggested that he try race walking. When he first started, he had some reservations about competing in long-distance events, but he steadily honed his skills, and by the third year of high school, he was standing on the podium at the national tournament for race walking. Looking back, Tsuchiya says, “Every time I won, my interest in the sport grew, and before I realized it, I was setting new personal records. If I had struggled at the beginning, I don't think I would have stuck with race walking.”

When it came time to choose a university, he decided on Ritsumeikan because he wanted to train under the men’s long-distance coach at the time and because he admired race walker Subaru Ishida (College of Business Administration Class of ‘ AY21 ), who was a member of the track and field team. Soon after joining the men’s track and field team, he decided to focus solely on race walking, having previously competed in both long-distance running and race walking. “The coach at the time told me, ‘Tsuchiya, you have what it takes to compete on the world stage in race walking,’ and that convinced me to give my all to the sport. Another big factor was that my senior teammate Subaru Ishida had already been selected for the World University Games, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” he recalls. Immediately after joining the university, he had already set his sights on competing internationally.

Facing the greatest challenge yet

From that point on, Tsuchiya shifted his focus away from the 10,000m race walk, a track event dominated by younger athletes with strong records, and started training for the 20km race walk, a road race event. This would eventually lead him competing internationally. However, things did not continue smoothly. He was soon faced by a challenge he had never faced before. In his second year, he developed overtraining syndrome—a condition in which excessive training combined with insufficient rest and nutrition prevents the mind and body from fully recovering, leading to accumulated fatigue. “I didn’t know what the cause was, but I was finding it harder and harder to keep up with my training for the 20km race walk. To make matters worse, the coach I looked up to left in 2022, which added to my psychological strain. When I woke up in the morning, my heart rate was abnormally high, I couldn't sleep at night, and I had other symptoms. This made it hard for me to practice properly," recounts Tsuchiya.

Unable to keep up physically with the training and feeling trapped in the mindset of having to keep pushing, Tsuchiya found himself worn down and exhausted. The ones who came to his rescue were two adult race walking athletes he knew. “They took the time to listen to me, watched over my training, and even trained alongside me. Thanks to their support, I gradually got back to being able to do my usual regimen. Until then, I was stuck thinking I had to push harder because I wasn’t practicing enough, but they taught me that it’s okay to rest when you can’t train. That advice allowed me to change my mindset,” he explains. With guidance and encouragement from many others as well, Tsuchiya eventually recovered before he knew it. By his third year, he had adapted to the longer 20km distance and road race conditions, and in September of that year he captured his first victory at the 93rd Japan Inter-University Athletics Championships (Intercollegiate Championships).

Giving his all and winning a silver medal

Building on his achievements, Tsuchiya finally achieved his long-held dream in April 2025—a trip to the men’s 20km race walk at the FISU World University Games. Looking back on how he felt at the time, he recalls: “One of the rivals who had ended my bid for four consecutive Kansai intercollegiate titles was also selected for the team, so my emotions were a mix of confidence and anxiety. But now I think the feeling of not wanting to lose actually worked to my advantage.”

Race day came at last. Tsuchiya stayed with the lead pack from the very start, but in the latter half found himself in a head-to-head battle with a top Italian competitor who overtook him with his final spurt. Although he had aimed for gold in both the individual and team competitions, he ended up coming away with team gold and individual silver. Reflecting on the experience of competing on the world stage, he says: “Although I was relieved to have finished an international race, I felt a mix of joy and frustration. I’m strong when it counts, and I was able to stay relaxed before the race, so I was able to give everything I had on race day. Being just one step short of victory was entirely down to my own lack of strength.” His words convey the deep satisfaction of having given his all.

A vow to keep improving while remembering to always be grateful

So, did competing on the world stage change Tsuchiya? “Winning silver made me determined not to let this go to my head. Throughout my athletic journey I’ve met so many people I never would have encountered without this sport—people who’ve supported and cheered for me—and my sense of gratitude is enormous. That’s something I never want to forget.”

Tsuchiya plans to continue race walking after graduation. With his sights now set on winning gold at the 2027 World Athletics Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, we look forward to cheering him on as he continues to tirelessly pursue his goals.

Profile

Atsuki Tsuchiya
Tsuchiya hails from Nara Prefecture, and he graduated from Chiben Gakuen Nara College Senior High School.
He loves manga, and his favorites are Naruto, Dragon Ball, and One Piece. He says reading these manga ignites his competitive spirit, and the strict self-discipline of the main characters motivates him to get into gear.

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