On September 29, at the Fussa City Hall (Tokyo), the “58th All Japan Student Bodybuilding Championship” took place. In the Women's Beginners Fitness category, KAWAHARA Miu (4th year, School of Engineering) of Okayama University Weight Training Club secured 2nd place, while IURA Nana (2nd year, School of Engineering) took 3rd place. In the Men's Physique 170 cm and under category, MORIHIGASHI Yu (3rd year, School of Engineering) placed 8th, creating a lively atmosphere at the venue.

This year's competition saw participants from all over the country, and the total number of entries in Bodybuilding, Physique, and Women's Beginners Fitness was the highest in the event's history. In addition to Ms. Kawahara, Ms. Iura, and Mr. Morihigashi, five athletes from Okayama University competed, including EGUCHI Shiori (2nd year, School of Economics) and HAMANO Hikaru (2nd year, School of Engineering). Below are comments from each of the athletes:

Ms. Kawahara:
"I was able to enjoy my stage performance thanks to the support of my coach and teammates. Through participating in this event, I hope to see more women entering the competition. Next, I’ll be focusing on winning the Intercollegiate Championship and pushing forward until the end."

Ms. Iura:
"I’ve failed at dieting many times before, but through ‘weight loss for the competition,’ I discovered the fun of body shaping! Towards the end, I was honestly exhausted and even grew tired of training, but it was a great experience to be able to participate in the Intercollegiate Championship. I’m thankful to everyone who supported me."

Ms. Eguchi:
"Being able to compete on a national stage was a great learning experience and an invaluable opportunity. Since there are fewer women in the competition compared to men, I would be happy if more people got to know about the sport and joined in."

Mr. Morihigashi:
"Thanks to the support of those around me, I was able to qualify for the Bodybuilding Intercollegiate Championship and place 8th in the Physique 170 cm and under category. I will work hard to achieve even better results next year."

(Physique: Evaluation focuses on the balance of upper body muscles, and factors such as hairstyle, shorts, and posing are also considered.)

Mr. Hamano:
"I could feel the high level of competition at the national level. Even among my peers, the level of completion was impressive. I want to develop my body so that I can compete at the national level next year."

Please keep an eye on the future success of Okayama University’s Weight Training Club!