Top Japanese skier ’kaput’

Press, 26 August 1977, Page 4

Top Japanese skier ’kaput’

* By TIM DUNBAR Toshihiro Kaiwa, the ski racer ' | on whom the Japanese have ' i placed great hopes for the (future, will not be competing jin the Air New Zealand-Mount ’Hutt international series next .week. • Toshi Furukawa, a Japanese ’.'coach, brought this bad news I when he arrived in Christchurch yesterday with a female team • member. Keiko Kijima. I “It is very sad. Kaiwa trained very hard and had too much eating—he is kaput.” said Mr Furukawa, clutching his stomach dramatically to illustrate Kaiwas problem. Kaiwa, apparent!}, suffered a severe “stomach ache” about two weeks ago and Mr Furukawa expects him to be indisposed for at least another week. The absence of Japan's top racer will take a little bit aw ax from the slalom event—the 22-year-old's speciality—at Mounts Hutt but it still promises to • be a very exciting affair. Osamu Kodama. aged only 20., is the second-ranked Japanese 1 skier and show ed his great I promise when he won the Aus-’ tralian championship slalom at Thredbo last week-end in bril- ! liant style. He will arrive in, Christchurch on Sunday afternoon. The World Cup holder.! Ingemar Stenmark. of Sweden.' will also have the Italian slalom expert, Fausto Radici. and the

I two talented Canadians. Rajrr * mond Pratte and Robert Safrata, ? as worthy opponents. ? .Miss Kohma, aged 21. is the ? top woman skier in Japan and t hopes to win the giant slalom I at Mount Hutt “1 don’t like the downhill,” she admitted cheerfl fully. I There was quite an interesting exchange when the Japanese girl was asked why she had come .straight to New Zealand from I Tokyo, bv-passing the races in i Australia. “I don't know,” said Miw i Koji ma. at a loss to explain s and looking at her coach tot assistance. “No money.” said Mr i Furukawa with a laugh • The Japanese will welcome the i races in New Zealand as a I respite from the two months of cycling and walking that their » summer has afforded for training purposes. *We have snow but just » J little and it is very high up The • ‘snow is no good and there aie no lifts,” the coach said . | Next season the Japanese hope to bring a team to train in both New Zealand and Australia, 'according to Mr Furukawa “Three bovs and two girls, I • hope.” 11 The tw o Japanese were to spend last evening with Mr Richard Johnson, chairman of the organising committee for the '.series, and today Miss Kojima I w ill have her first ski on Mount ) I Hutt.