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The Major Competitions in 2003 |
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2003 World Championships Information |
| Men's Team Profile |
| (web published on Aug. 4,2003) |
| Name |
Birth |
General Interest |
Hiroyuki Tomita
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21-Nov-80 |
Encouraged by his mother, Tomita started training at the Mac Gymnastics Club. This club has trained many fine gymnasts in Osaka, such as Iketani, Nishikawa, Tanaka, Fujita, Yoneda and Kashima. Kashima is Tomita's friendly rival.
In 1998 Tomita won the title of national junior champion. In 2002, he finally won the Japanese national championship. He has a reputation for elegant and beautiful performance. It is truly "artistic!" And also, he is an excellent all-rounder. Tomita enjoys watching baseball and soccer in his free time.
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Naoya Tsukahara
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25-Jun-77 |
The great gymnast Mitsuo Tsukahara is Naoya's father. Naoya's mother, Chieko, was a member of the Olympic national team in1968. They work out at their gym at the Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Gymnastics Club. However, Naoya had first practiced soccer until he was 11 years old before he started gymnastics. His first his coach was Wu Jie, who was a member of the national team in China. The training was very hard but very good for the gymnast. The Chinese coach quit working at the gym when Naoya was 14. His father then invited Nicolai Andrianov from Russia. In 1994 and 1995, Naoya won the national high school title twice in a row. In 1996 he became an Olympian like his parents. From 1996 to 2000 he kept the national title. In the 1997 World Championships he got 2 bronze medals (AA and PB), and in the1999 World Championships he got 2 silver medals (AA and PB). Andrianov has left, and so his father trains Naoya. |
Takehiro Kashima
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16-Jul-80 |
Kashima started training at the Mac Gymnastics Club in Osaka, the same place as Tomita, the national champion. They are friendly rivals and are the same age. Kashima has the record for winning a national title for men at the youngest age. When he was 15, he won the Pommel horse championship. Then, in the 2002 World Championships, he got the bronze medal on PH. He also he has strong routines on PB and HB. |
Akihiro Kasamatsu
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22-Jul-76 |
Kasamatsu's parents were great gymnasts. His father, Shigeru, was the world champion in 1974. In the Montreal Olympics in 1976 Shigeru was the best of the Japanese team and had a chance to win the world title. However, Shigeru got acute appendicitis and couldn't compete. He just supported his team, which won the Olympics.
At that very time, in Japan, Akihiro was born! That was July 22 1976.
In 2000, Akihiro became an Olympian like his parents. In 2001, he tried to qualify for the world championships, but didn't succeed. He decided to have an operation on his shoulder and came back to the national team after only a year. |
Yushi Sato
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12-Jan-78 |
Sato was energetic when he was child. His mother recommended that he start gymnastics. The 2003 World Championships will be his first international competition. He enjoys snowboarding in winter. |
Tatsuya Yamada
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6-Mar-76 |
Yamada has the reputation for powerful performance. In the 2002 World Championships he competed on Rings and Vault. He enjoys playing with his daughter. |
Isao Yoneda
*alternate
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20-Aug-77 |
Yoneda was born in Hamburg, and moved to Japan while still a baby. He trained at the Mac Gymnastics Club, the same place that Tomita and Kashima trained at. In the 2002 World Championships he competed on Floor and Horizontal bar. He qualified second for the HB event finals, and won the semifinals. He got 5th in the finals. Many spectators were impressed with his big routine and excellent landing. |
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