Ayumu Saito, Japanese ace in the modern pentathlon, aims to win at the Los Angeles Olympics

Ayumu Saito, 28, is said to be Japan’s leading female athlete in the modern pentathlon, known as the “King of Sports. Looking up at the high, warped wall, which is as challenging as the one used in the popular international TV show “SASUKE,” she revealed her honest feelings.

I used to ride my horse over the obstacles, but now I have to clear the obstacles in front of me,” she said. I had experience playing “Untei” as a child, but it was completely different when it was a competition. I was confused at first, and even now I am trying my best to get a feel for it, so I am still groping my way around.

Since the early days of the modern Olympic Games, the modern pentathlon has consisted of five events: fencing, swimming, running, shooting, and equestrian events. However, since last year’s Paris Olympics, the obstacle race has replaced the equestrian events from the viewpoint of animal protection.

For Saido, whose father represented Japan in the modern pentathlon at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, and who had missed his dream Olympics in Tokyo and Paris by a whisker, the exclusion of dressage, which had been one of his strong points, must have been a blow.

There are very few facilities in Japan where you can practice obstacles,” he said. So I sometimes visit people who have built their own facilities for SASUKE, and when I am in Tokyo, I incorporate bouldering into my training.

Her modeling career is “to broaden the scope of my life. “My modeling activities are to broaden my life.

On the day of our interview, Saido was at a training facility in Chiba Prefecture practicing “Laser Run,” a combination of running and shooting. After running a lap around a track, he stopped, picked up a laser pistol, and shot at a target just 6 cm in diameter. It is not easy for her to hold the gun up without moving slightly when she is out of breath. She is left-handed and plays golf, her latest hobby, with her left hand, as well as chopsticks. On the other hand, she writes with her right hand and holds the pistol she uses in competitions with her right hand.

I can use chopsticks with my right hand,” he says. If I am close to someone eating next to me, I eat with my right hand to avoid bumping into them (laughs).

This dexterity must be used in the competitions in which she competes in five different events.

In addition to her activities as an athlete, she has also been active as a model since she was a student at Waseda University, making the most of her good looks and good style. Recently, she modeled for the luxury brand Burberry for ELLE magazine.

She says, “I started doing this for a change of pace and to broaden the scope of my life. I hope that it will eventually lead people to know about the modern pentathlon. Although the modern pentathlon is not a scoring event, I have become aware that I am being watched. Of course, I can’t wear makeup during the competition, but I play with my nails and hairstyle as long as it doesn’t interfere with the competition, and try to lift my spirits.

She has been fencing since she was a child and has dreamed of being on the same stage as her father since she decided to compete in the modern pentathlon. Until last year, there were only about 33 athletes in Japan competing in the modern pentathlon, but with the removal of the high hurdle of dressage from the sport, there has been a wave of athletes switching from other sports to the modern pentathlon, and the frontier of the sport is expanding. The selection process for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2008 will be even more intense.

My father was a coach at the London Olympics (in 2012), so the Olympics have always been close to my heart. But in Tokyo, it was clear which events I could compete in and which I couldn’t, so even if I had been able to compete, I would have just competed. I definitely want to compete in Los Angeles, and I want to medal.”

Running, swimming, shooting, fighting, and overcoming obstacles. Saido’s role is to convey the appeal of the modern pentathlon, a sport that pursues the potential of mankind.

From the March 28, 2025 issue of FRIDAY