"The most important thing to us was to participate." This is what motivated Kumiko Kajiwara, a W40 Heptathlete; Makiko Sueyoshi, a W50 Steeplechaser (a Sliver medalist in 2000m SC); Yumiko Tamada, a W60 jumper and Yuko Hayashi, a W55 sprinter recovering from meniscus surgery to compete in the 4x100 in Lyon last month.
A relay team captain, Kumiko Kajiwara, organized and led the team. Makiko Sueyoshi, who won the silver in 2000m SC in W50 just one hour before the relay race, gave up her medal ceremony and dedicated herself to the team. Yumiko Tamada and Yuko Hayashi competed against athletes who are almost 20 years younger than them but it did not matter because "it was a once in our lifetime experience".
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fought well and got the baton around the oval which was better than 2 teams could do so they placed 7th out of 9 teams! They were pleased with their performance and honored to run for Japan. Masters Athletes are not always top ranked, winning a medal or even close to the next competitor but we are participating! Participation keeps us active and healthier which is why we at MastersRankings.com, Inc. work so hard to encourage and motivate you to participate and strive to excel.
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