Kyoko Ishikawa was a back-packing Japanese student in Barcelona in 1992 when she said a “miracle happened.” She managed to buy a ticket to the opening ceremony of Spain’s historic Olympics.
She had only “pocket money” with her — maybe US$50 — when some local men offered her a ticket for that price, she said, adding that the real price might have been 10 times that much, but she is not sure.
“You came all the way from Japan, so have fun,” she said they told her.
Photo: AP
“I immediately grabbed that ticket and ran straight into the stadium. When I stepped into the venue and looked around, I got a shock as if struck by lightning,” she said.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Ishikawa, who is president of an information technology company, has attended every Summer Olympics since then, becoming famous as an unofficial “International Olympic Cheerleader.”
She relishes joining in with fans from everywhere to cheer for their athletes.
Her cheering style at Olympic venues is well-known among Japanese.
She wears a traditional Japanese costume for festivals and a headband printed with “Victory” written in Japanese. In her hands she holds folding fans emblazoned with the Japanese flag.
Tokyo this year is to be different. There will be no fans from abroad to entertain: Local organizers have barred tourists because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local residents are expected to be allowed into venues, but in limited numbers.
Naotoshi Yamada, who was known in Japan as “Uncle Olympics,” died in 2019. He had attended every Summer Olympics since 1964, easily identifiable as the cheering face of Japan.
Ishikawa first met Yamada at a baseball game in Barcelona and served as his “deputy” ever since, she said.
Now she is on her own, and in unusual circumstances, but her mission is the same: to cheer for athletes from around the world on behalf of fans who could not attend.
She views the Olympics as a way “for children and young people to experience the importance of diversity and identity,” she said.
That was her initial impression when she first entered Barcelona’s Olympic stadium and saw “the energy created by the melting pot” of different people, she added.
“The opportunity to have that experience will be gone this time,” she said. “I feel very disappointed.”
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday fought through a second-set slump to post a roller-coaster 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, raced through the first set, but completely lost his way in the second, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian. Alcaraz regained his intensity and cut down his errors in the third set as a seventh ace took him to a match point that was converted when Dzumhur fired wide. “It was just a roller coaster,” said the second
NEXT ROUND: World No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka opened their title defenses with straight-sets wins, while Iga Swiatek and Taylor Fritz also advanced Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka got their title defenses off to smooth starts as they powered into the third round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Saturday. The men’s and women’s top seeds, each ranked No. 1 in the world, were both competing for the first time since Wimbledon, where Sinner lifted the title and Sabalenka bowed out in the women’s semi-finals. Sinner crushed Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in steamy afternoon weather, while Sabalenka beat 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 under the lights of the night session. Sabalenka needed 54 minutes and a service break in the final game
RSS