Koji Murofushi
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese hammer throw
er. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships
, where he won the silver medal. He was olympic champion during the Athens Olympics
. In 2011, He was crowned world champion.
at the 1993 East Asian Games
. At the Asian Championships he won silver medals in 1993
, 1995
. He won the silver medal at the 1994 Asian Games
and then took his first title 1997 East Asian Games
. A silver medal at the 1998 Asian Championship
was followed by a gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games
. In global events, he finished eighth at the 1992 World Junior Championships
, tenth at the 1997 World Championships
and ninth at the 2000 Olympic Games
.
He scored gold medals at the both the 2001 Goodwill Games
and the 2001 East Asian Games
– setting a Games record at the latter event. After the 2001 World Championships
, he proceeded by winning the 2002 Asian Championships
and Asian Games
as well as a silver medal at the 2002 World Cup
and a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships
. That year he threw 84.86 metres, which was the longest hammer throw in over ten years, putting Murofushi fifth on the all-time performer's list. Among the favorites at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he eventually won the gold medal after the disqualification of Adrián Annus
, and in 2004 gained a doctorate in physical education from the Chyukyo University
in Nagoya.
In July 2006 he won the World Athletics Final
and the World Cup
. He finished sixth at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
, third at the 2007 World Athletics Final
, and fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games
. Two medalists, Vadim Devyatovskiy
and Ivan Tsikhan, were first disqualified for failing the doping test, but won the appeal and had their medals reinstated.
At the 2009 Japanese Championships, Murofushi retained his national title, winning his fifteenth consecutive championships at the event. He increased his title total again the following year.
He made a world-leading throw of 80.99 m at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
meeting which ranked him first place in the inaugural IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge
. He remained ahead of second-placed Dilshod Nazarov
at the end of the series, winning with a score of 238.52 (the combined total of his three best throws on the circuit).
In July 2011, Olympic news outlet Around the Rings reported that the Japanese Olympic Committee nominated Murofushi for the IOC's Athletes Commission. Elections will take place during the Olympics. The commission represents the athletes' views at the IOC.
is a former Olympian and held the Japanese record for 23 years until his son broke it, and his sister, Yuka Murofushi
, throws both hammer and discus
. Murofushi's Romanian
-born mother, Serafina Moritz, was a javelin thrower for Romania
, European Junior champion in 1968, and Romanian senior champion in 1970. She is now a glass painter, and lives in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
er. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
, where he won the silver medal. He was olympic champion during the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. In 2011, He was crowned world champion.
Career
Before the 2001 World Championships he had made his mark in Asian athletics. He started with a bronze medalBronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 1993 East Asian Games
Athletics at the 1993 East Asian Games
At the 1993 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. A total of 41 events were contested, of which 22 by male and 19 by female athletes...
. At the Asian Championships he won silver medals in 1993
1993 Asian Championships in Athletics
The 10th Asian Championships in Athletics were held in early December 1993 in Manila, Philippines.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:*...
, 1995
1995 Asian Championships in Athletics
-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:*...
. He won the silver medal at the 1994 Asian Games
Athletics at the 1994 Asian Games
-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
and then took his first title 1997 East Asian Games
Athletics at the 1997 East Asian Games
At the 1997 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the Busan Gudeok Stadium in Busan, South Korea between 10–19 May. A total of 43 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 20 by female athletes....
. A silver medal at the 1998 Asian Championship
1998 Asian Championships in Athletics
The 12th Asian Championships in Athletics were held in Fukuoka, Japan in July 1998.- Men :- Women :-Medal table:-External links:*...
was followed by a gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games
Athletics at the 1998 Asian Games
-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
. In global events, he finished eighth at the 1992 World Junior Championships
1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics was the fourth edition of the international athletics competition for athletes aged 19 years or under. It was held in Seoul, South Korea from September 16 to September 20, 1992.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
, tenth at the 1997 World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
and ninth at the 2000 Olympic Games
Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Men's hammer throw
The Men's Hammer Throw at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24....
.
He scored gold medals at the both the 2001 Goodwill Games
Athletics at the 2001 Goodwill Games
At the 2001 Goodwill Games, the athletics events were held at the ANZ Stadium in Brisbane, Australia from 4–7 September. A total of 44 events were contested, with 22 events each for male and female athletes.-Records:-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
and the 2001 East Asian Games
Athletics at the 2001 East Asian Games
At the 2001 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held in Osaka, Japan from 23 to 26 May 2001. A total of 45 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 22 by female athletes. All events were held at the Nagai Stadium, with the exception of the racewalking and half marathon events...
– setting a Games record at the latter event. After the 2001 World Championships
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
, he proceeded by winning the 2002 Asian Championships
2002 Asian Championships in Athletics
- Men :- Women :- Medal table :-External links:*...
and Asian Games
Athletics at the 2002 Asian Games
-Medal summary:-Men's events:-Women's events:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
as well as a silver medal at the 2002 World Cup
2002 IAAF World Cup
The 9th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was hosted by Madrid, September 21–22, 2002, in the Estadio La Peineta...
and a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
. That year he threw 84.86 metres, which was the longest hammer throw in over ten years, putting Murofushi fifth on the all-time performer's list. Among the favorites at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he eventually won the gold medal after the disqualification of Adrián Annus
Adrián Annus
Adrián Annus is a Hungarian hammer thrower, who was stripped of his gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens for a doping violation in a highly publicized scandal...
, and in 2004 gained a doctorate in physical education from the Chyukyo University
Chukyo University
is a private university in Aichi, Japan, with campuses in Nagoya and Toyota.-External links:*...
in Nagoya.
In July 2006 he won the World Athletics Final
2006 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 4th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 9 and September 10, 2006.-Results:-External links:*...
and the World Cup
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece....
. He finished sixth at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics - Men's hammer throw
The Men's Hammer Throw event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics took place on 25 August 2007 and 27 August 2007 at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan.-Medallists:-Schedule:...
, third at the 2007 World Athletics Final
2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
, and fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's hammer throw
-Qualifying round:Qualification: Qualifying Performance 78.00 or at least 12 best performers advance to the Final.-External links:...
. Two medalists, Vadim Devyatovskiy
Vadim Devyatovskiy
Vadim Anatolyevich Devyatovsky is a Belarusian hammer thrower.He finished fourth at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and in 2005 he won the World Championships silver medal. In July the same year he threw 84.90 metres, which currently is his personal best. He originally won a silver medal at the 2008...
and Ivan Tsikhan, were first disqualified for failing the doping test, but won the appeal and had their medals reinstated.
At the 2009 Japanese Championships, Murofushi retained his national title, winning his fifteenth consecutive championships at the event. He increased his title total again the following year.
He made a world-leading throw of 80.99 m at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
The Rieti Meeting is an annual athletics event at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF World Challenge....
meeting which ranked him first place in the inaugural IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge
IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge
The IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge is an annual athletics contest organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. First held in 2010, the series of hammer throw competitions for men and women are primary held at meetings with IAAF World Challenge status...
. He remained ahead of second-placed Dilshod Nazarov
Dilshod Nazarov
Dilshod Nazarov is a Tajikistani athlete who specializes in the hammer throw. He has represented his country at the Olympic Games on two occasions...
at the end of the series, winning with a score of 238.52 (the combined total of his three best throws on the circuit).
In July 2011, Olympic news outlet Around the Rings reported that the Japanese Olympic Committee nominated Murofushi for the IOC's Athletes Commission. Elections will take place during the Olympics. The commission represents the athletes' views at the IOC.
Personal life
Koji Murofushi comes from a hammer throwing family, as his father Shigenobu MurofushiShigenobu Murofushi
is a former hammer thrower from Japan. He is the father of Koji Murofushi and Yuka Murofushi.-Achievements:-References:**...
is a former Olympian and held the Japanese record for 23 years until his son broke it, and his sister, Yuka Murofushi
Yuka Murofushi
is a Japanese discus and hammer thrower.Murofushi comes from a hammer throwing family, as her father Shigenobu Murofushi is a former Olympian and held the Japanese record for decades, and her brother Koji Murofushi, is the 2004 Olympic champion in the event. Her mother is Serafina Moritz, a former...
, throws both hammer and discus
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
. Murofushi's Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
-born mother, Serafina Moritz, was a javelin thrower for Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, European Junior champion in 1968, and Romanian senior champion in 1970. She is now a glass painter, and lives in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture.