Koji Murofushi

Koji Alexander Murofushi, OLY[2] (広治アレクサンダー室伏, Kōji Arekusandā Murofushi, born October 8, 1974) is a former Japanese-Romanian hammer thrower and sports scientist. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was the 2004 Olympic champion. In 2011, he was crowned world champion.

Koji Murofushi
Koji Murofushi at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
Personal information
NationalityJapanese, Hungarian
Born (1974-10-08) October 8, 1974
Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
EmployerMizuno Track Club
Height187 cm (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight99 kg (218 lb)
Sport
Country Japan
SportAthletics
Event(s)Hammer throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)84.86 m (2003)
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2004 AthensHammer throw
Bronze medal – third place2012 LondonHammer throw
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2011 DaeguHammer throw
Silver medal – second place2001 EdmontonHammer throw
Bronze medal – third place2003 ParisHammer throw
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1998 BangkokHammer throw
Gold medal – first place2002 BusanHammer throw
Silver medal – second place1994 HiroshimaHammer throw

Career

Murofushi was born in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Before the 2001 World Championships he had made his mark in Asian athletics. He started with a bronze medal 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.[3][4] 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 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 fourth 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.

Murofushi had an undergraduate degree in physical education and completed his doctorate in 2007 at Chukyo University. Murofushi was accepted a faculty appointment at Chukyo University as associate professor of physical education in 2011. Murofushi joined Tokyo Medical and Dental University in 2014 and serving professor in physical education and director of sports science center.

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,[5] but won the appeal and had their medals reinstated.[6][7]

At the 2009 Japanese Championships, Murofushi retained his national title, winning his fifteenth consecutive championships at the event.[8] He increased his title total again the following year.[9]

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.[10] 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).[11]

In July 2011, the JOC (Japanese Olympic Committee) nominated Murofushi for the IOC Athletes' Commission, with the elections taking place at the 2012 Olympics. Although Murofushi collected more than enough votes to be elected, his candidacy was voided by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) due to inappropriate campaigning by the JOC during the Games.[12][13]

In August of the year, Murofushi won the gold medal at the world championships, making him the oldest winner of the men's hammer world title.[14] He also won the International Fair Play award at the same world championships.[15]

He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.[16]

He was appointed as Sports Director for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in June 2014.[17]

Personal life

Koji Murofushi comes from a hammer throwing family, as his father Shigenobu Murofushi 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 mother, Serafina Moritz (born 1950) is Hungarian origin Romanian.[18][19][20] She was a javelin thrower for Romania, European Junior champion in 1968, and Romanian senior champion in 1970.[21][22] She is now a glass painter, and lives in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.[23] Thanks to his mother, Murofushi speaks Romanian.[19]

Record

Competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing  Japan
1992 World Junior Championships Seoul, South Korea 8th 65.78 m
1993 East Asian Games Shanghai, China 3rd 66.78 m
Asian Championships Manila, Philippines 2nd 65.54 m
1994 Asian Games Hiroshima, Japan 2nd 67.48 m
1995 Asian Championships Jakarta, Indonesia 2nd 69.24 m
World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 35th (q) 67.06 m
Universiade Fukuoka, Japan 15th 67.58 m
1997 East Asian Games Busan, South Korea 1st 73.40 m
World Championships Athens, Greece 10th 74.82 m
Universiade Catania, Italy 8th 73.46 m
1998 Asian Championships Fukuoka, Japan 2nd 74.17 m
Asian Games Bangkok, Thailand 1st 78.57 m
1999 Universiade Palma de Mallorca, Spain 6th 77.14 m
World Championships Seville, Spain 14th (q) 75.18 m
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 9th 76.60 m
2001 East Asian Games Osaka, Japan 1st 79.68 m
World Championships Edmonton, Canada 2nd 82.92 m
Goodwill Games Brisbane, Australia 1st 82.94 m
2002 Asian Championships Colombo, Sri Lanka 1st 80.45 m
Asian Games Busan, South Korea 1st 78.72 m
2003 World Championships Paris, France 3rd 80.12 m
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 1st 82.91 m
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 6th 80.46 m
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 5th 80.71 m
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 1st 81.24 m
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 3rd 78.71 m
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 6th 78.03 m

Distance progression

See also

References
  1. "Japanese Medalists in London 2012 Olympics". joc.or.jp. Japanese Olympic Committee. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  2. "Olympians for Life". World Olympians Association. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  3. Asian Games – GBR Athletics
  4. Asian Championships – GBR Athletics
  5. I.O.C. Strips 2 Medalists for Doping, NYTimes, December 11, 2008
  6. CAS reinstates medals for hammer throwers, Associated Press, June 10, 2010.
  7. "Former hammer champion Murofushi fails to nail Rio spot". June 25, 2016.
  8. Murofushi captures 15th straight title. The Japan Times (June 28, 2009). Retrieved on July 2, 2009.
  9. Nakamura, Ken (June 7, 2010). Murofushi and Murakami extended their winning streak at the Japanese National Championships . IAAF. Retrieved on June 7, 2010.
  10. Rieti’s birthday party begins with Hammer Throw world lead. IAAF (August 29, 2010). Retrieved on August 30, 2010.
  11. Murofushi and Heidler take overall titles and prize of $30,000 each – IAAF World Hammer Throw Challenge. IAAF (September 8, 2010). Retrieved on September 8, 2010.
  12. Overzealous Japanese committee responsible for Murofushi’s IOC ban. japandailypress.com. June 20, 2013
  13. CAS reject Murofushi appeal against IOC election block. Reuters. May 22, 2013
  14. Marantz, Ken (August 29, 2011). "ONE DECADE AFTER FIRST MEDAL, MUROFUSHI CLAIMS GOLD". www.iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  15. "MUROFUSHI WINS INTERNATIONAL FAIR PLAY AWARD – DAEGU 2011". www.iaaf.org. IAAF. September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  16. "London 2012 - Men's Hammer Throw". www.olympic.org. IOC. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  17. "Olympic Champion Murofushi Appointed as TOKYO 2020 Sports Director". Tokyo 2020. June 24, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  18. "Murofusi Kódzsi – Wikipédia". hu.m.wikipedia.org (in Hungarian). Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  19. Andru Nenciu (December 13, 2008). "Ciocan norocos". ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved September 28, 2009.
  20. "Atlétika: agyi limfómával kezelik a kalapácsvető olimpiai bajnokot". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  21. Bryan Walsh (June 14, 2004). "To the Hammer Born". Time. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
  22. Absente de cinci stele – Cotidianul Archived September 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Cotidianul.ro (August 9, 2005). Retrieved on August 27, 2010.
  23. 室伏選手の母がガラス絵７０作品:トピックス:中日新聞女性向けサイト：オピ・リーナ(Opi-rina) Archived September 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Opi-rina.chunichi.co.jp. Retrieved on August 27, 2010.
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