March 1, 2003

Special Olympics CEO and President Tim Shriver and his mother Eunice, the founder of the Special Olympics movement, visited Nagano, Japan to survey progress for the Special Olympics Winter World Games to be held in 2005.

While in Nagano the Shrivers observed the Special Olympics Japan National Winter Games.

The 2005 Special Olympics Winter World Games are scheduled to be held February 26-March 5.

The Nagano Games will be the first Winter World Games to be held in Asia. Previous editions of the Special Olympics Winter World Games have been held in Steamboat Springs (1977), Smugglers Cove (1981), Park City (1985), Reno (1989), Salzburg/Schladming, Austria (1993), Toronto/Collingswood, Canada (1997) and Anchorage (2001).

January 17, 2004

Several cities, including Copenhagen, Denmark; Montreal, Canada; Munich, Germany; Shiga Prefecture, Japan, and Sydney, Australia are in the running for the 2009 World Masters Games.

Canada, Denmark and Australia have already hosted the games. 

Both the Shiga bid website and the IMGA web site are listing participation figures for past games that are above figures formerly reported.  For instance, the 1998 Portland World Masters Games were reported at the time to have had some 11,000 participants, well under what organizers had hoped for, in part due to very high registration fees. Now, the IMGA reports that 25,000 athletes were present at both the 1998 games and the 2002 games in Melbourne.  

Both Shiga (if they win the bid) and the 2005 games host, Edmonton, are using the figures to optimistically project large economic impacts from the games. 

Nagano Special Olympic Organizers observers in Dublin

July 15, 2003

A large delegation of Japanese observers and organizers was in Dublin, Ireland last month to learn as much as possible about organizing the Special Olympic Games. Nagano is scheduled to host the 2005 Special Olympics Winter World Games about a year and a half from now.

Nagano is hoping to rely on volunteer support for the games, especially those volunteers who have experience from the 1998 Olympic Games. Nagano will be using some of the facilities from the 1998 Olympic Games for the Special Olympic Games, the first time the Special Olympics have been held in an Olympic City.

Organizers are hoping that the games will help change attitudes towards those with mental retardation in Japan. Organizers in Nagano have said that there is still a tendency in Japan not to recognize that people with mental retardation exist in Japan.

Japan tops Asian Winter Games Medals

Feb. 12, 2003

Japan, returned to the top of the Asian Winter Games medals table, after two disappointing games in 1996 and 1999 that had seen them slip to third and fourth in the medals race. Japan topped the first two games, in 1986 and 1990, both held in Sapporo.

Asian Winter Games enter final stretch

Feb. 9, 2003

Several story lines have developed over the course of the Asian Winter Games in Aomori.

Japan looks to regain the top spot on the medals table with one day to go.

Japan finished on top the medals race at the first two Asian Winter Games both held in Sapporo, Japan. At the third games in Harbin, China, Japan slipped to third, and in 1999 at the fourth games in Kangwon, Korea, Japan slipped further to fourth place, with just six gold medals.

One failed drug test is still being confirmed. South Korean speed skater Back Eun-bi who won the silver in the women's 3,000 meters and bronze in the 1,500 meters, has tested positive. An anesthetic and epinephrine were given during dental treatment in between events, according to South Korean officials.

One Japanese volunteer evidently committed suicide, leaving a note that he had been overworked.

Some possible defections are still being confirmed. A Mongolian ice hockey player, 20-year old goalkeeper Enkhee Battulga, disappeared hours after Mongolia lost to Kazakhstan 25-1.

Two suspected North Korean defectors were found in Tokyo, said to be shopping for sports equipment. Their travel documents did not allow travel beyond Aomori.

An explanation for the huge blowouts in the Hockey tournaments? Goal differential. In case of a tie in win-loss records, the difference in goals scored becomes a factor. If China beats South Korea by 30, Japan is obliged to try and do the same.

Defending champions in the women's hockey tournament China, lost the gold medal to Kazakhstan. China finished third after having won the games title in 1996 and 1999.

South Korea's team skated off the ice and forfeited their final game in protest of a foul after being down to Kazakhstan, 19-0.

Asian Winter Games off to a roaring start in Aomori

Feb. 4, 2003

"Aomori is apples, and apples is Aomori." So goes one advertising slogan from the region in Japan. . Aomori focused on this fact by lighting a cauldron shaped like an apple to open the games. 

Japanese runner Kayoko Fukushi, silver medallist in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in last year's Asian Games in Busan, was given the honor of lighting the flame.

Japan's Prince Naruhito declared the Winter Asiad officially open. North and South Korea marched together once again, just as they had in the 2002 Busan Asian Games and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The women's ice hockey tournament, opening two days before the Opening Ceremony, got the Asian Winter Games competitions off to a great start.

The South Korean team, not a traditional powerhouse, fell to the hosts, Japan 21-0. South Korea was outshot 103-1. South Korea's coach pulled his team from the ice at one point to protest some referees calls, but the games was eventually completed.

China then beat South Korea 30-1 and the South Koreans record fell to 0-3 with a 10-0 loss to North Korea.

Things were just as ugly on the Men's side.

Kazakhstan jumped all over Mongolia 25-1. Mongolia then lost to South Korea 23-1

Japan drowned Thailand 39-0 but Thailand got on the board against China scoring 2 goals in a 24-2 loss.

Just prior to the games, officials had to remove three events from medal consideration because of a lack of entries, the women's slalom, giant slalom and snowboard halfpipe.

A reported 17,000 strong-member security force is protecting the games.

Koji Ito to retire before 2002 Asian Games

July 24, 2002

Koji Ito, a three-time Olympian and the defending champion in the Asian Games 100 and 200 meters has announced he will not defend his titles at the 2002 Games.

At 32, Ito has said that his body can not take the strain of training at a world class level. "It is regrettable but I've lost my motivation to run because of the grueling practice sessions. I don't think I will be running anymore,"

With the announcement, Ito also lays to rest his dream of becoming the first Asian athlete to run the 100 meters in less than 10 seconds.

At the 1998 Asian Games Ito came as close as possible, without breaking ten seconds when he ran 10.00 to set an Asian record.

After winning the 100 and 200 meters and helping Japan to a 4x100 meter relay win, Ito was named outstanding male athlete for the 1998 Asian Games, an award which came along with a $100,000 dollar prize.