Nariyuki Masuda, who has been selected as a member of the men's national cycling road team, ran his leg of the Tokyo Games torch relay on the fifth day in Utsunomiya on Monday.
Masuda, 37, of the Utsunomiya Blitzen pro team, carried the torch on his custom road bike through the city. Utsunomiya is where the Japan Cup Cycle Road Race, one of the biggest cycling races in Asia, takes place.
Originally from Sendai, Masuda became interested in road cycling in junior high school when he saw cyclists racing through the beautiful Alps on TV. During his second year of high school, he saved up enough money to buy a road bike and trained with adults at a local road cycling club. After winning a prize in an amateur race during university, Masuda joined a company team in 2006.
While at university, Masuda also attempted flying using only pedal power. In 2005, he flew a human-powered propeller aircraft for 49.172 kilometers from the Fujikawa Glider Field in Shizuoka Prefecture to a point off the coast of the Irozaki cape, also in the prefecture, setting the then national record.
After he failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016, he was determined to be on the national team at the Tokyo Games. However, the following year, he was diagnosed with Graves' disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones. He recovered after taking medication, but during a race in 2019, he fell and broke his hip.
Last year, Masuda's Olympic-qualifying efforts were hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. With only a few qualifying races in both Japan and other parts of Asia, Masuda was at a disadvantage to other Japanese athletes who were based in Europe in terms of opportunities. Masuda said he became frustrated because he was unable to compete, despite being mentally and physically fit.
In October, he traveled to Spain to compete in the final race for Olympic qualifying. He ended up earning enough points to be on the national team and qualified for the No. 2 spot for the Games.
After cycling through the familiar streets of Utsunomiya with the torch, he vowed to make his mark on the Olympic stage.
"I want to keep the flame alive in my heart until the Olympics and run the best race of my life as an athlete," Masuda said.
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