Female saber fencing player Misaki Emura, who placed 5th in her team at the Tokyo Olympics, pitched a perfect score of 100 at Saitama Seibu's first pitch ceremony! After all, he was strong in the actual performance!

--How was the first pitch ceremony?

 Jiangcun:Even though (admission of spectators) was restricted, many customers came. Even in fencing, it is difficult to play in front of them. I think it was a really good experience. 
--How was the view at the mound?

 Jiangcun:I was so nervous that I couldn't see my surroundings, and the distance to the catcher was farther than I expected, so I felt very anxious.…. I couldn't see around me for a while.
 


--After your perfect pitch, the stadium was filled with warm applause, right?

 Jiangcun:After all, I wanted to wear a catcher's mitt with a Norvan. I was really happy to be able to do that and receive applause.

--Did you do any practice?

 Jiangcun:I practiced at a park near my house, but I didn't even have a hardball. I borrowed a glove and a softball from my senior and gave it a try.

I tried practicing by watching my own form while filming the video, but the beginning (of my pitching form) was pretty uncool... I practiced by watching and imitating the forms of various players.



--What kind of player is the pitcher you imitate?

 Jiangcun:It's a YouTube video of various players, so I don't know the names...

ーーAmong all of that, did you feel like today was a perfect score of 100?

 Jiangcun:Yes! I think a score of 100 points is fine.



 
ーーYou were worried about the rainy weather on Twitter the day before, but does that mean you were able to pitch comfortably even in the rain? MetLife Dome has been renovated this season, and the vision has changed significantly, but what are your impressions after seeing the stands?

  Jiangcun:I came to this stadium before when there was a LIVE performance of "Momocromania 19", and I was able to go on stage with a sword at that time as well.

I don't know if it's because it was before the renovation (in 2019), but it was night at that time. Today's first pitch ceremony was during the day, so we had a different view.

Also, I saw some seats on the way in, and they looked super comfortable, so I thought, ``Baseball stadiums are so luxurious!''


 
--Did you have any conversations with the Seibu players?

  Jiangcun:I couldn't. I thought I'd like to try it... We are rooting for you!

--By the way, have you ever watched baseball?

  Jiangcun:Not at all, today is the first time.

--Are there any athletes you would like to support?

  Jiangcun:What you just told me about is not a leader... I heard that the captain (Genda) is also from Oita Prefecture, so I would like to pay attention to it and watch it.


 
--Also, it's been about a week since the Olympics ended, but have you received any messages?

  Jiangcun:When I get in touch with someone, they send me messages like ``Thank you for your hard work at the Olympics.'' When I see various athletes doing well on TV, I feel more and more frustrated as each day passes, and my feeling of ``I really want to be there too!'' grows stronger.

--Have you already started practicing again?

  Jiangcun:The national team hasn't practiced yet, but I've been going to a nearby club and practicing on my own.

--Please tell us about your own goals, Mr. Emura.

  Jiangcun:At one point, I was able to climb up to 7th place in the world rankings, but I fell down after getting injured once. I was able to move up to 17th place again, so the first thing I need to do is get back up to single digits. Also, I would like to win the World Cup gold medal, which I have never won before.


 
When Emura contacted him before the performance, he said, ``I have nothing but anxiety.'' I was shown a video of him practicing at the park, and it showed him pitching with awkward form, and it couldn't even be described as a strike pitch. However, this pitch was made during a one-shot match. It can be summed up in one word: ``Strong for actual performance.''

My motto is "I'm convinced." He must have studied the form in videos and practiced it over and over again until he was literally ``satisfied'' with the image.

“Athlete x Calligraphy” was previously featured on King Gear. Even there, I was impressed by how he continued to write until he was satisfied.

Realizing a unique collaboration between fencing and calligraphy What is the secret behind the plan?


 
In addition, Emura's first pitch ceremony received a great response, and when footage of him jumping for joy after pitching a strike was seen on social media, he received a series of complimentary comments such as ``He's so cute jumping up and down'' and ``He's such an athlete,'' and the number of his followers on Instagram increased rapidly. Not only Saitama Seibu Lions fans but also baseball fans were excited!

Furthermore, in the fencing world, men's foil skater Kyosuke Matsuyama, who professes to be a genuine Lions fan, says, ``I'm a serious Seibu fan.'' "Let's throw the first pitch!" he offered.

This is also a big hit on SNS! The fencing world is attracting attention. Won a gold medal at the World Cup and a medal at the Paris Olympics. I am looking forward to Emura's future activities.

[Collaboration] Saitama Seibu Lions