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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow
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With Finns' help, Japan cross country team bears fruit
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Anchor Kazutoshi Nagahama crossed the finish line in seventh place and the home crowd had reason to rejoice. In seven decades of Olympic participation, it was the first time for Japan to finish in the top eight in any cross country skiing event.
And the locals beat some European skiing powerhouses too. Finishing one place back was Germany, who was fourth in this event at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Austria, Slovakia and France also finished behind Japan.
''Our strategy went well. There weren't any mistakes either,'' beamed Japan head coach Tatsuo Kitamura.
Without doubt, the ''home field advantage'' was also a factor.
Team members Katsuhito Ebisawa, Hiroyuki Imai, Mitsuo Horigome and Kazutoshi Nagahama knew by heart every detail of Hakuba's twisting, hilly Snow Harp course, judged to be among the toughest in the world.
But a decision by the Ski Association of Japan (SAJ) to hire outside help as part of its long-term development strategy may have been just as important.
In the spring of 1996, the SAJ called on the services of renowned Finnish coach Pekka Vahasoyrinki and he immediately began applying scientific techniques toward building a solid training program.
The sport of cross country skiing is not unlike Formula One auto racing -- you need a team of people who specialize in equipment to support your racers, and Japan's Finnish connection proved invaluable in this regard.
Vahasoyrinki is not the only Finn on Japan's cross country team. Esko Kuntola is a waxman, Pigg Gabriel is a trainer and masseur, and Heikki Alakarppa is a ''wax tester'' -- one who puts on the skis to check if they have been waxed properly.
Vahasoyrinki, who doubles as Finland's cross country team leader in Nagano, felt proud to see his home country take the bronze medal in Wednesday's relay.
He must have also felt good when the third skier of Japan's relay squad, Mitsuo Horigome, posted the third fastest leg and put Japan in fourth place with 10 km to go.
''A top-eight finish was our target,'' said anchor Nagahama, who was a last-minute replacement for ill teammate Masaaki Kozu. ''Finishing fourth or fifth would have been more impressive, but the good thing was I protected my own pace.'' (Kyodo News)
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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun