Hercules- Like Father Like Son

“I just try my best, I am not sure if I broke my respectful father’s record.”

At 8th, in the male hammer game opened at main stadium of Busan Asiad Game, Japanese Mushiro Goji (28) gained gold medal by throwing 78m 72 and recorded two consecutive gold medal in Asian Game. Even if he looks like Hercules with gigantic muscles, but he was embarrassed at his father’s story.

At the moment he gained gold medal, his father, Mushiro Shigenobu, stood up with giving clap to his son, and his son responded by deep bow.

Mushiro Goji said, “Even if I failed to make new record, I am very happen to show gold medal to may father on my birth day.”

Father, Mr. Shigenobu is a hero of Japanese sports by five consecutive championships in hammer of Asian Games from 1970 to 1986. His son, Mushiro Goji succeeded and gained two gold medals, so total 7 gold medals in the family.

He is a world sportsman gained silver medal in World Championship in the last year. However, he showed special attachment for Asian game because to maintain the family legend.

Mushiro Goji looks like western people and his Rumanian mother was javelin thrower once, his younger sister is national player of discus throw, so all members of the family are athletic sport players. As his younger sister also has Japan record, she is likely to gain medal in this game.

Mushiro Goji said, “My father overcame so many difficulties such as wound, etc and recorded 5 consecutive championship, so he is the model of my life.”

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com