Sawt Falasteen - Javelin star Kitaguchi finds new home in small Czech town

The 27-year-old Japanese is getting ready for next month's world championships in Tokyo in the western Czech town of Domazlice.

"I can concentrate on training here. And the weather is better than in Tokyo which is too hot for me," Kitaguchi told AFP at the local training centre -- on a scorching hot Czech summer day.

She ended up in the cosy historic town after teaming up with local coach David Sekerak at a training seminar in Finland in 2018.

Former javelin thrower Sekerak knew that she had won the world youth championships in 2015.

"She was a big woman and I could see she had something in her," he added, hailing her self-discipline.

Kitaguchi followed him to the country of three-time Olympic javelin champion Jan Zelezny and two-time Olympic winner Barbora Spotakova.

"When I came for the first time, my coach said, today you can throw with my friend," Kitaguchi said.

"I went with him, and there was Barbora Spotakova. It was a good experience as she is my idol," Kitaguchi told AFP.

Sekerak has since led her to the 2023 world title and the 2024 Olympic crown, together with two Diamond League titles.

- Beer and goulash -

Mixing English and Czech, Kitaguchi said she appreciated "a good balance" in Sekerak's training.

"He also finds a way... for me to throw far. And every competition he stands behind me, supporting me. It's great mental aid," she added.

A lover of Czech beer and heavy meals like goulash or dumplings in cream sauce, Kitaguchi said she had taken Czech lessons during the pandemic.

"But they only taught me to say 'I have a pen'. Nothing I could use in training," she said, bursting out laughing.

Her tinkling laughter can be heard even as she jogs and stretches alongside her Czech training partner Petra Sicakova, the javelin silver medallist from this year's European under-23 championships.

"My mum said when you train hard, it helps to smile. It's good for good training and good results, she said. So I do that," Kitaguchi said.

When she competed at the Paris Olympics, a cafe in Domazlice's sprawling historic square put up a large screen for locals to cheer for their neighbour.

A party followed, and city officials staged an official welcome with a local bagpipe band when Kitaguchi and Sekerak returned home.

In Domazlice, Kitaguchi lives in a flat in a hotel run by her coach's wife.

"I did a lot of the building work there myself," said Sekerak, who also owns a printing shop and makes his own javelins, used by his team.

Kitaguchi, who has her mother, a physiotherapist and a cook with her now, has her own model called Giant Baby, which is her Instagram nickname.

- 'Silly thoughts' -

Kitaguchi, whose personal best is 67.38 metres from 2023, said her dream was to beat 70 metres.

"It's my target for my life," she said.

Sekerak said Kitaguchi could even tackle Spotakova's world record of 72.28 metres from 2008.

One condition is to drop "silly thoughts" that got into Kitaguchi's head as she was coping with fame following the two big titles, he added.

"I think we wasted about a year there, but she's OK now. It helps to go for a beer and some good food and ice cream together."

Ahead of the Tokyo championships starting on September 13, Kitaguchi's form is a great unknown -- she is ranked sixth worldwide this season with a best of 64.63 metres.

She will compete at the Diamond League in Lausanne and Zurich in August and then fine-tune her form in Turkey before leaving for Tokyo.

Sekerak said she was safer in Domazlice than in Japan where she has become the face of the championships, featuring on billboards across the country.

"It's crazy," Kitaguchi chuckled, waving aside her celebrity status.

"I hope I can show the best (in Tokyo) with people cheering (for) me and it's going to be a great memory for me. I'm really looking forward to it."

J.AbuShaban--SF-PST