JAL Athletes Participating in the Paris Olympics Report to Employees, Souvenirs Made from Boeing Aircraft Scrap Material

Japan Airlines (JAL) held a report meeting on September 17th in Tokyo for its athlete employees who participated in the Paris Olympics: track and field athletes Haruka Kitaguchi and Rashid Muratake, and fencer Kinki Kano.

At the Paris Olympics, Kitaguchi won the first-ever gold medal for Japan in women’s javelin throw, Muratake achieved the first-ever 5th place finish for a Japanese athlete in the 110m hurdles, and Kano won a gold medal in men’s épée individual fencing and a silver medal in the team event. They were part of the Japanese delegation that achieved a record number of medals, 45, at an overseas Olympics.

The meeting was held at the live house ‘KIWA’ in Tennozu, Tokyo, attended by approximately 80 group employees, including JAL President Mitsuko Tottori and Chairman Yuji Akasaka. President Tottori congratulated the athletes in the opening speech, saying, “I am proud that all of you are employees of the JAL Group and have achieved brilliant results as representatives of Japan,” and encouraged everyone to relax and enjoy the day.

▲Track and Field – Women’s Javelin Throw Haruka Kitaguchi

During the interaction time between athletes and employees, a member of the Risk Management Department asked about the risks faced during the competition and how they were handled. Kitaguchi shared an episode on how she avoids sitting on the chairs provided on the field to create a more comfortable environment for herself by lying on her own towel, as a way to prevent tension.

▲Fencing Men’s Épée Kinki Kano

Kano responded that fencing is a sport where you constantly manage risk and attack your opponent, indicating that he is accustomed to risk management. Muratake added that unlike in Japan where hurdle bars are made of plastic, the ones used in the Paris Olympics were wooden, which could lead to time loss if hit, and mentioned he practiced on wooden hurdles to get used to them before the competition.

Towards the end of the meeting, commemorative shields with each athlete’s name and the JAL logo etched onto metal plates were presented to the athletes. These plates were handmade by mechanics using discarded materials from the outer panels of Boeing 777, 767, and 737-800 aircraft, with the names etched in the same font used for aircraft warning labels.

In the final remarks, Kitaguchi expressed her desire for support at next year’s World Championships where she will be aiming for consecutive titles, suggesting that finding familiar faces in the crowd helps her enjoy and perform better. Kano reflected on his mixed feelings about the results, feeling content with having seen both gold and silver medals, and set his sights on winning two golds at the Los Angeles Olympics four years later. Muratake looked back on his Olympic debut with satisfaction of reaching the finals and expressed his determination to strengthen his performance for future stages.

▲Track and Field – 110m Hurdles Rashid Muratake

Chairman Akasaka commented on the ups and downs of the Olympics and expressed his admiration for the athletes’ ambition, encouraging them to continue demonstrating growth at the World Championships in athletics and fencing.

▲JAL President Mitsuko Tottori addressing the athletes