Koji Murofushi

Koji Murofushi
OLY[1]
Koji Murofushi at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
Personal information
NationalityJapanese
Born (1974-10-08) 8 October 1974
Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
EmployerMizuno Track Club
Height187 cm (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Weight99 kg (218 lb)
Sport
Country Japan
SportAthletics
EventHammer throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best84.86 m (2003)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
2004 Athens Hammer throw
2012 London Hammer throw
World Championships
2011 Daegu Hammer throw
2001 Edmonton Hammer throw
2003 Paris Hammer throw
Asian Games
1998 Bangkok Hammer throw
2002 Busan Hammer throw
1994 Hiroshima Hammer throw
Asian Championships
2002 Colombo Hammer throw
1993 Manila Hammer throw
1995 Jakarta Hammer throw
1998 Fukuoka Hammer throw

Koji Alexander Murofushi (広治アレクサンダー室伏, Kōji Arekusandā Murofushi; born 8 October 1974) is a Japanese former 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.

Early life and education

Koji Murofushi was born on 8 October 1974 in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. He is of Japanese and Romanian descent. His father, Shigenobu Murofushi is a former Olympian and held the Japanese record for 23 years before it was broken by Koji. Murofushi's sister, Yuka Murofushi, throws both hammer and discus.[3] Murofushi's mother, Serafina Moritz, is a Hungarian of Romanian origin.[4][5] She was a javelin thrower for Romania.[6][7] Murofushi speaks Romanian.[4]

Murofushi began hammer throwing at age 10, taught by his father.[3][8] He attended Chukyo University, where his father coached track and field.[3] Having an undergraduate degree in physical education, Murofushi 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. He joined Tokyo Medical and Dental University in 2014 and serves as professor in physical education and as director of the sports science center.

Career

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.[9][10] 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.

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,[11] but won the appeal and had their medals reinstated.[12][13]

At the 2009 Japanese Championships, Murofushi retained his national title, winning his fifteenth consecutive championships at the event.[14] He increased his title total again the following year.[15]

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.[16] 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).[17]

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.[18][19]

In August 2011, Murofushi won the gold medal at the world championships, making him the oldest winner of the men's hammer world title.[20] He also won the International Fair Play award at the same world championships.[21]

He competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.[22]

He was appointed as sports director for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in June 2014.[23]

Record

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
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. ^ "Olympians for Life". World Olympians Association. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Japanese Medalists in London 2012 Olympics". joc.or.jp. Japanese Olympic Committee. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Walsh, Bryan (14 June 2004). "To the Hammer Born". TIME. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b Andru Nenciu (13 December 2008). "Ciocan norocos". ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Atlétika: agyi limfómával kezelik a kalapácsvető olimpiai bajnokot". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). 8 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  6. ^ Bryan Walsh (14 June 2004). "To the Hammer Born". Time. Archived from the original on 29 October 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  7. ^ Absente de cinci stele – Cotidianul Archived 28 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Cotidianul.ro (9 August 2005). Retrieved on 27 August 2010.
  8. ^ "Trailblazers: MUROFUSHI Koji – "Awareness can be raised by setting higher goals."". International Olympic Committee. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  9. ^ Asian Games – GBR Athletics
  10. ^ Asian Championships – GBR Athletics
  11. ^ I.O.C. Strips 2 Medalists for Doping, NYTimes, 11 December 2008
  12. ^ CAS reinstates medals for hammer throwers, Associated Press, 10 June 2010.
  13. ^ "Former hammer champion Murofushi fails to nail Rio spot". 25 June 2016. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  14. ^ Murofushi captures 15th straight title. The Japan Times (28 June 2009). Retrieved on 2 July 2009.
  15. ^ Nakamura, Ken (7 June 2010). Murofushi and Murakami extended their winning streak at the Japanese National Championships . IAAF. Retrieved on 7 June 2010.
  16. ^ Rieti's birthday party begins with Hammer Throw world lead. IAAF (29 August 2010). Retrieved on 30 August 2010.
  17. ^ Murofushi and Heidler take overall titles and prize of $30,000 each – IAAF World Hammer Throw Challenge. IAAF (8 September 2010). Retrieved on 8 September 2010.
  18. ^ Overzealous Japanese committee responsible for Murofushi's IOC ban. japandailypress.com. 20 June 2013
  19. ^ CAS reject Murofushi appeal against IOC election block. Reuters. 22 May 2013
  20. ^ Marantz, Ken (29 August 2011). "ONE DECADE AFTER FIRST MEDAL, MUROFUSHI CLAIMS GOLD". www.iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  21. ^ "MUROFUSHI WINS INTERNATIONAL FAIR PLAY AWARD – DAEGU 2011". www.iaaf.org. IAAF. 3 September 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  22. ^ "London 2012 - Men's Hammer Throw". www.olympic.org. IOC. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  23. ^ "Olympic Champion Murofushi Appointed as TOKYO 2020 Sports Director". Tokyo 2020. 24 June 2014. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
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