Tsubasa Kina

Tsubasa Kina
Personal information
Native name喜納翼
Born (1990-05-18) May 18, 1990 (age 34)
Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Sport
SportAthletics
EventMarathon
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals2020, 2024
Personal bestMarathon 1:35:50 (2019)
Medal record
Marathon
World Marathon Majors
Representing  Japan
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Tokyo Marathon
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Marathon
Gold medal – first place 2021 Tokyo Marathon

Tsubasa Kina (Japanese: 喜納翼, born 18 May 1990)[1] is a Japanese wheelchair racer, who won the women's wheelchair race at the 2020 and 2021 Tokyo Marathons, and came third at the 2018 Tokyo Marathon. She is the national record holder in the women's wheelchair marathon, and competed at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics and the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

Personal life

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Kina is from Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.[2] As a teenager, Kina played basketball. Whilst studying, Kina had an accident that forced her to use a wheelchair.[2]

Career

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Kina competed in her first wheelchair marathon in 2013.[2] In 2016, she won the women's race at the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon.[2] In 2017, she won the 800 metres T54 event at the Arizona Grand Prix.[3] Kina came third at the 2018 Tokyo Marathon, in a time of 1:46:17.[4] In 2019, Kina set a personal best time of 1:39:36, which allowed her to qualify for the 2019 Tokyo Marathon.[5] Kina did not finish the race due to a flat tyre.[6] She later finished second at the 2019 Oita International Wheelchair Marathon, in a Japanese national record time of 01:35:50. She beat the previous record by over two minutes.[7][8]

Kina won the women's wheelchair race at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon, in a time of 01:40:00.[9][10] The women's wheelchair race had three competitors,[11] and Kina took the lead at the start of the race, and maintained it throughout.[12] It was her first victory at the event,[13] and Kina's winning time was a course record.[12] Part of the Tokyo Marathon course was used for the marathon event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[6]

Kina qualified to compete in the marathon T54 at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics.[14] At the Games, she finished seventh in the race.[1] Kina won the delayed 2021 Tokyo Marathon; she was one of two finishers at the event.[15]

Kina competed in the marathon T54 at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[16] She finished 12th in the race with a time of 2:04:53.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Wheelchair racing is a team sport for me –athlete Tsubasa Kina". Special Broadcasting Service. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Kinghorn and Morrison smash world records at Arizona Grand Prix". Paralympic.org. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Fantastic five for Manuela Schaer in Tokyo". Paralympic.org. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Tokyo Marathon 2019: Wheelchair Elite Field" (PDF) (pdf). 23 January 2019. p. 3. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b "喜納翼 東京マラソン大会新で優勝" [Tsubasa Kino Wins the New Tokyo Marathon]. Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting (in Japanese). 2 March 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  7. ^ "喜納翼、日本新記録叩き出し2位 東京パラ出場懸けてW杯へ 大分車いすマラソン女子" [Tsubasa Kino, 2nd place in Japan's new record, to the World Cup for participation in Tokyo Para Oita Wheelchair Marathon Women]. Okinawa Times (in Japanese). 18 November 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  8. ^ "挑戦の種は、案外突然現れたりする. それを楽しめるかどうかは自分次第なんだ" [The seeds of challenge may suddenly appear. It's up to you to enjoy it] (in Japanese). Honda. 13 December 2019.
  9. ^ "Athletics: Legese wins virus-affected Tokyo Marathon, nat'l rec for Osako". Kyodo News. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Lonah Salpeter shatters Tokyo Marathon course record". Running Magazine. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  11. ^ "喜納翼、目標通りのタイムでV「走りやすかった」/東京マラソン" [Tsubasa Kino, V "easy to run" at the target time / Tokyo Marathon]. Sankei Sports (in Japanese). 1 March 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Suzuki wins men's and Kina wins women's, both setting new course record! (Tokyo Marathon 2020 Wheelchair Marathon Race Report)". Tokyo Marathon. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  13. ^ "車いす女子、喜納翼が大会新で初V…東京マラソン" [Wheelchair Women, Tsubasa Kino is the first victor in the new tournament ... Tokyo Marathon]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 1 March 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  14. ^ "久々の実践で好タイム 女子車いす800M優勝・喜納翼 日本パラ陸上" [Good time in practice after a long time Women's wheelchair 800M champion, Tsubasa Kino Japan Para Athletics]. Ryūkyū Shimpō (in Japanese). 6 September 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  15. ^ "2022 Tokyo Marathon results". NBC Sports. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  16. ^ "喜納翼がパリ・パラリンピックへ 車いすマラソン 東京に続き2度目 パラ陸連が代表内定選手を追加発表". Ryūkyū Shimpō (in Japanese). 1 July 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  17. ^ "パリ・パラリンピック、喜納翼は12位 車いすマラソン女子". Okinawa Times (in Japanese). 8 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
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