Medal Target at Paris Olympics! The Japanese Record Holder for 110m Hurdles, Shunsuke Izumiya, on What He Looks for in Shoes

Shunsuke Izumiya, the Japanese record holder for the 110m hurdles. Some might remember he reached the semifinals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the first Japanese to do so in 57 years. Since then, he has continued to break his own records and perform exceptionally well at world championships.

In the 2023 Diamond League, he won the 6th leg held in June, becoming the first Japanese athlete to win a track event in this prestigious series. Moreover, at the World Championships in August of the same year, he finished 5th, the highest placement ever for a Japanese athlete in this event.
 
Set to compete in the Paris Olympics, Izumiya uses the "NIKE MAXFLY 2" as his race spikes and the "NIKE PEGASUS 41" for training. What functions does Izumiya seek in his spikes and training shoes?

Revolutionary Resilience of the "Nike Maxfly"

Izumiya has been using the new model "Nike Maxfly 2" this year. What differences does he notice compared to conventional spikes?
 
"Like the previous Maxfly, it provides significant propulsion. I take 7 steps to reach the first hurdle, but before using Maxfly, I would take long strides.