Saori Kitakaze

2.1. Birth and Family

Saori Kitakaze was born on April 3, 1985, in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan, and grew up in Ebetsu. Her blood type is A. Athletics was a significant part of her family's life, as both of her parents and her two older sisters were former track and field athletes. This familial background provided an early introduction to the sport for Kitakaze, who began her own athletics journey in the fourth grade. Her first name, "Saori," was given to her by her parents, who were fans of the Japanese singer Saori Minami.

2.2. School Years and Athletic Development

Kitakaze attended Ebetsu Municipal Ōasa Elementary School, Ōasa Junior High School, and Hokkaido Eniwa Kita High School before graduating from Asai Gakuen University (now Hokusho University) in 2008 with a degree from the Faculty of Lifelong Learning Systems. During her elementary school years in 1997, as a sixth grader, she also served as the captain of the Ōasa Minibasketball Boys and Girls Club, showcasing her early leadership skills.

Her dedication to track and field intensified in junior high school. In 2000, during her third year of junior high, she achieved national recognition by winning both the National Junior High School Girls' 100m championship and the Junior Olympics. Her high school career saw a period of stagnation in her first two years, where she reportedly lost her motivation. However, the death of her grandfather spurred her to rededicate herself to the sport. By her third year of high school in 2003, she had achieved a remarkable "triple crown" in the 100m event, winning the Japan Junior Athletics Championships, the Inter-High School Championships (with a time of 11.73 seconds, which was then tied for the third-fastest high school record), and the National Sports Festival for Youth A.

To maintain continuity in her training, Kitakaze chose to attend the local Asai Gakuen University, where she continued to be coached by Hiroyuki Nakamura, who had guided her during her high school years. During her university career, in September 2006, she set a new Hokkaido record with a time of 11.56 seconds in the 100m.

3.1. Early Success and Domestic Competitions

Kitakaze's senior career began to flourish with notable performances in domestic competitions. In 2004, she placed eighth in the 100m at the Japan Championships with a time of 11.92 seconds. The following year, at the 2005 Japan Interscholastic Track and Field Championships, she secured a third-place finish in the 100m, clocking 12.10 seconds. In 2006, she notably won the 100m title at the Japan Interscholastic Track and Field Championships with a time of 11.68 seconds.

Her 2007 season started strong at the Shizuoka International Athletics Meet, where she ran a new Hokkaido record of 11.52 seconds in the preliminary rounds. Although she finished second to Momoko Takahashi at both the Japan Interscholastic and Japan Championships that year, she later avenged those losses by winning the Nambu Chuhei Memorial Athletics Meet with a wind-assisted time of 11.64 seconds. In 2008, at the Oda Memorial Athletics Meet, Kitakaze achieved her personal best in the 100m with a time of 11.42 seconds. However, she placed second as her teammate Chisato Fukushima set a new Japanese national record of 11.36 seconds in the same race. After a period of injury, she made her comeback in 2010, winning a Sapporo City Athletics Association meet with a time of 11.94 seconds. She continued to achieve podium finishes in various domestic events, including a third-place finish at the 2013 Japan Championships in the 100m with a time of 11.74 seconds. Other notable domestic performances include a second place at the 2010 All-Japan Business Group Athletics Championships, a victory at the 2010 Jitsugyodan-Gakusei Competition, first places at the 2011 Nambu Memorial and 2013 Mito Invitational, and multiple top-three finishes at events such as the Oda Memorial, Izumo Athletics, All-Star Night Athletics, Twilight Games, All-Japan Business Group Athletics Championships, and Fuse Sprint between 2011 and 2016.

3.2. International Competitions

Saori Kitakaze made her international debut in 2004, where she earned a bronze medal in the 60m at the 2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran, Iran, with a time of 7.52 seconds. The same year, at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Grosseto, Italy, she reached the semi-finals of the 100m, running 12.00 seconds. She also contributed to a National Junior Record in the 4x100m relay heats with a time of 45.80 seconds.

In 2005, at the East Asian Games held in Macau, Kitakaze placed fourth in the 100m with 12.02 seconds. More significantly, she was part of the Japanese women's 4x100m relay team that secured the gold medal with a time of 44.88 seconds. Her continental presence continued with an appearance at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, where she finished seventh in the 100m final, running 11.94 seconds.

A significant achievement came in 2007 at the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships in Amman, Jordan, where she earned a silver medal in the 4x100m relay with a time of 45.06 seconds. Despite being selected for her first global championship, her relay team was unfortunately disqualified in the preliminary rounds of the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan. She continued to be a strong presence in international relays, earning another silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2013 Asian Athletics Championships in Pune, India, with a time of 44.38 seconds. In 2014, she competed at the 2014 IAAF World Relays in Nassau, Bahamas, with the 4x100m relay team finishing 18th in the heats. Her final international medal came in 2015, another silver in the 4x100m relay, at the 2015 Asian Athletics Championships in Wuhan, China, clocking 44.14 seconds.

3.3. Personal Bests and National Records

Saori Kitakaze has achieved impressive personal bests across various sprint events:

• 100 metres: 11.42 seconds (recorded in Hiroshima, Japan on April 29, 2008)
• 200 metres: 24.55 seconds (recorded in Sapporo, Japan on May 27, 2007)
• 60 metres (indoor): 7.52 seconds (recorded in Tehran, Iran on February 6, 2004)

She is also a joint Japanese record holder in the 4x100m relay. Alongside her teammates Momoko Takahashi, Chisato Fukushima, and Kana Ichikawa, Kitakaze ran the first leg of the relay that achieved a time of 43.39 seconds on May 8, 2011, in Kawasaki, a performance that stands as a national record.

3.4. Injuries and Comebacks

Throughout her career, Saori Kitakaze faced significant challenges due to injuries, particularly a fatigue fracture in her left shin. This injury necessitated three separate surgeries and extensive rehabilitation periods. Despite these setbacks, Kitakaze demonstrated remarkable resilience. She successfully returned to competitive athletics on May 15, 2010, participating in a Sapporo City Athletics Association meet held at Sapporo Atsubetsu Park Stadium. In her comeback race, she won the women's 100m event with a time of 11.94 seconds, marking a successful return to the sport after her prolonged recovery.

4.1. Retirement and Return to Competition

Saori Kitakaze initially announced her retirement from competitive athletics in 2016. During her time away from the professional circuit, she focused on her personal life, including giving birth to her eldest son. However, her passion for the sport remained strong, leading her to make a notable return to active competition in 2019, demonstrating her enduring dedication and commitment to track and field.

4.2. Coaching and Administrative Roles

Following her return to athletics, Kitakaze took on various leadership positions, impacting the sport beyond her own performance. In October 2020, she was appointed player-coach of Hokkaido Hightech AC, the club where she had been a prominent athlete. In this role, she succeeded her former mentor, Hiroyuki Nakamura, continuing his legacy while actively participating as an athlete.

In March 2021, Kitakaze stepped down from her position as director of Hokkaido Hightech AC. The following month, in April 2021, she established her own club team called "Hokkaido Bremens Athletics Club," specifically focusing on masters athletics. Her stated aim for this club was to pursue "world records" for adult athletes, indicating her ambition to promote athletic excellence across all age groups. Further cementing her influence in the academic and developmental aspects of the sport, in January 2022, she was appointed as the head coach of the track and field club at her alma mater, Hokusho University. In this new role, Kitakaze expressed her goal of fostering global talent from Hokkaido, reinforcing her commitment to the development of future generations of athletes in her home region.