Ryoichi Akamatsu, who placed 5th in high jump at the Paris Olympics, secured first place with a 2.25m jump at the World Athletics (WA) Indoor Athletics Silver “Nehvizdy Stars 2025” event held in Nehvizdy, Czech Republic, on February 19th.
Throughout the competition, Akamatsu showcased exceptional performance. He successfully jumped from 2.09 meters to 2.18 meters on his first attempt. He was the only athlete to clear both 2.18m and 2.25m in a single attempt, earning the victory. Akamatsu also attempted the 2.28m height to the applause of the spectators but failed all three attempts.
29-year-old Ryoichi Akamatsu is from Gifu Prefecture and graduated from the graduate school of Gifu University. He placed eighth at the 2023 Budapest World Championships and fifth in the men’s high jump at the Paris Olympics last August. This marked the first time in 88 years that a Japanese athlete won a medal.
Other Japanese athletes included Mano Tomohiro (Kyudenko), who cleared 2.22m on his second attempt and placed third, and Hasegawa Naoto (Sato Foods Niigata Albirex RC), who placed eighth with a 2.18m jump.
Ryoichi Akamatsu’s achievement will be remembered as a significant milestone in Japanese athletics history.
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