On Friday, April 26, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) announced the members of the Japanese national race walking team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and Ayane Yanai (3rd-year student, College of Gastronomy Management) from the Ritsumeikan University Women's Track and Field Team was selected to represent Japan in the marathon racewalk mixed relay *.

Yanai, who hails from Fukuoka Prefecture, began competing in track and field events in elementary school, but emerged as a race walking standout in high school. When she was still in elementary school, she decided to go to Ritsumeikan University because she admired the university’s success in ekiden road races, and she was even selected for the team that participated in the Japan Collegiate Ekiden Championships.

In terms of race walking competitions, she has been performing excellently. She took home the bronze medal in the 10,000m racewalk at the U20 World Athletics Championships in 2022, and most recently, she represented Japan at the 30th World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships this past April. Before that, in the 107th Japan Championships in Athletics in February, she placed third in the 20km racewalk, and in the 72nd New Year Race Walk in January, she set a new Japanese university student record, placing second in the women’s 10km race walk.

Yanai was one of four athletes selected for the marathon racewalk mixed relay, and they will give their all in the quest for a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

* JAAF will recommend the athletes to the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC), which is the organization in charge of sending athletes to the Olympic Games, and they will become members of Team Japan Paris 2024 (the Japanese national team) after undergoing various procedures and certification by JOC.

I have received a provisional offer to represent Japan at the Paris Olympics in the racewalk relay, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.
I plan to hone my technique and build up my physical strength with the aim of winning a medal at the Olympics.
This will be the first time that the Olympics features the marathon racewalk mixed relay. It is an interesting event whose rankings fluctuate significantly. I hope everyone will root for us on TV, and please be sure to show your support for the Japanese national team.