Kamiji: Every moment at a Paralympic Games is special
It is fair to say that Japan's Yui Kamiji has had her ups and downs at the Paralympic Games.
But with the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event only days away, the 30-year-old is steadfast in her view that, irrespective of whether on-court targets are met, every Paralympic moment is special.
Paris 2024 will be Akashi-born Kamiji’s fourth Paralympic Games, and she will once again be among the favourites to medal in the women’s competition when play gets underway on 30 August.
Her medal haul so far is impressive. After failing to make the podium at London 2012, Kamiji won bronze in both singles and doubles in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 followed by silver in singles at Tokyo 2020 and bronze in doubles.
“Every Paralympic moment is very emotional and important to me,” said eight-time Grand Slam singles champion Kamiji.
“At my first Games, I went to the Opening Ceremony and I had never seen anything like that before. It was so good to combine with athletes from other sports and countries.
“Then at Rio, I won my first Paralympic medal and then the Tokyo Games were in my home country, which was very special. I won two medals there also, so every time has been memorable.
“Also for me, when I was young, I did not watch much tennis on television. I would watch wheelchair tennis and, before I watched the Grand Slams, I watched the Paralympics.
“As I was watching I was like, ‘I want to play there’. Now I have competed at three Paralympic Games, which is a dream. I cannot wait to compete in Paris.”
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In some ways, merely listing Kamiji’s achievements does not tell the full story. The former world No. 1 was Japan’s flagbearer at Rio 2016 and expectations were high, only for exasperation to emerge.
“I felt nothing but frustration after those Games,” added Kamiji. “I did feel the relief of earning a bronze medal, but I wasn’t happy. At London 2012, I wasn’t able to progress beyond the quarter-finals, but I had great fun because it was my first Paralympics.
“In Rio, I can’t say that I had much fun. Like I say, more than anything, I felt frustration and disappointment.”
In many respects, Tokyo was a different animal and, while despondency will always follow defeat, Kamiji ran into the all-conquering Diede de Groot in the women’s singles final.
Kamiji, who became the first wheelchair tennis player in history to light the Paralympic Cauldron that heralds the start of the Games, succumbed. Victory ensured De Groot took a significant step on the road to an unprecedented wheelchair tennis calendar Golden Slam.
De Groot is likely to have a sizeable say in proceedings in Paris also, but you get the impression that Kamiji has unfinished business.
Kamiji will head into the Games on the back of a solid season – her best in a Paralympic year in terms of trophies accrued – and her Paralympic results tend to get better with every passing Games. She is also one of just two players to have defeated De Groot this season.
Watch this space.