 Koji Murofushi at the2011 World Championships in Athletics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born | (1974-10-08)8 October 1974 (age 51) Numazu,Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan |
| Employer | Mizuno Track Club |
| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)[2] |
| Weight | 99 kg (218 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Japan |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Hammer throw |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest | 84.86 m (2003) |
Medal record | |
Koji Alexander Murofushi (広治アレクサンダー室伏,Kōji Arekusandā Murofushi; born 8 October 1974) is a Japanese formerhammer thrower andsports scientist. He has been among the world elite since the2001 World Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was the2004 Olympic champion. In 2011, he was crowned world champion.
Koji Murofushi was born on 8 October 1974 inNumazu,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 anddiscus.[3] Murofushi's mother,Serafina Moritz, is a Romanian of Hungarian origin.[4][5] She was ajavelin thrower for Romania.[6][7] Murofushi speaksRomanian.[4]
Murofushi began hammer throwing at age 10, taught by his father.[3][8] He attendedChukyo 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 joinedTokyo Medical and Dental University in 2014 and serves as professor in physical education and as director of the sports science center.
Before the 2001 World Championships he had made his mark in Asian athletics. He started with abronze medal at the1993 East Asian Games. At the Asian Championships he won silver medals in1993,1995. He won the silver medal at the1994 Asian Games and then took his first title1997 East Asian Games. A silver medal at the1998 Asian Championship was followed by a gold medal at the1998 Asian Games.[9][10] In global events, he finished eighth at the1992 World Junior Championships, tenth at the1997 World Championships and ninth at the2000 Olympic Games.
He scored gold medals at both the2001 Goodwill Games and the2001 East Asian Games – setting a Games record at the latter event. After the2001 World Championships, he proceeded by winning the2002 Asian Championships andAsian Games as well as a silver medal at the2002 World Cup and a bronze medal at the2003 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 ofAdrián Annus.
In July 2006 he won theWorld Athletics Final and theWorld Cup. He finished sixth at the2007 World Championships in Athletics, third at the2007 World Athletics Final, and fifth at the2008 Olympic Games. Two medalists,Vadim Devyatovskiy andIvan Tsikhan, were first disqualified for failing thedoping 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 theRieti IAAF Grand Prix meeting which ranked him first place in the inauguralIAAF Hammer Throw Challenge.[16] He remained ahead of second-placedDilshod 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 theIOC 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 the2012 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.[22]
He was appointed as sports director for theTokyo 2020 Olympic Games in June 2014.[23]
SeoulHiroshimaFukushimaTokyoMarugame
BangkokKumamotoYokohamaToyota
Doha
PragueYokohamaTokyo
Athens
RietiNagoya
Portland, ORRietiDaegu
London
MoscowFukushimaNagoya
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