Yuma Maruyama
Born in 1998 in Osaka. Men’s decathlon, the third highest in Japan’s history (8021 points).
Graduated from Osaka Prefectural Shinoda Senior High School and Nihon University. Belongs to Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. from April 2021.
Set a Japanese high school record in the octathlon during his third year of high school. He steadily improved his records in university, but in his third year he suffered a thoracic disc herniation injury, which put his competitive career in jeopardy. After that, he continued to compete for three years from 2020 to 2022 while undergoing treatment.
In 2023, he overcame a serious injury to win his first Japan championship. He then won the Asian Championships after being selected to represent Japan, and participated in the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships, growing to become an outstanding figure in Japan.
In 2024, he won the Japan Championship consecutively and scored 8,021 points, the third highest in Japan’s history. Can history be rewritten at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25? Hope rises for the Japanese decathlon athlete.
Increasing number of events, increasing joy
――Please tell us how you got started in track and field.
When I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, I saw Usain Bolt running on TV and thought, “I want to be like him,” which is what led me to start competing. Even though I was in elementary school, it really touched my heart. I’ve always loved running, and I played many sports such as football and baseball, but that’s when I chose track and field.
――How did you end up doing decathlon?
When I was in the third year of junior high school, I learned that there were four events (110mH, high jump, shot put, 400m). I like sports in general, but I wanted to try something other than just running. If I specialized in four events, I could try all four events. It was fun when I actually tried it. Then I changed to octathlon (addition of 100m, long jump, javelin, 1500m to the four events mentioned above) in high school, and I felt happy with the increased number of events.
His joy grew each time, and eventually decided to compete in the decathlon.
――Rather than specializing in one sport, it must be more suitable for you to practice multiple sports.
This is not limited to track and field, I like new things. For example, when it comes to restaurants, there is no place I go to repeatedly. There are times when I say, “this place was delicious”, but I still want to go to a different restaurant next time. I don’t repeat myself and I get excited in new things. I felt joy when I increased my number of events from four to eight, and from eight to ten, and I think that’s reflected in my personal life as well.
――What do you find enjoyable and difficult when competing?
What I enjoy most is communicating with other athletes. Even on the world stage, you can compete with other athletes while “encouraging” each other to do our best. We are competitors, but all the athletes have a strong sense of unity. I think this is unique to the decathlon, which is different from other events. On the other hand, the difficult part is maintaining our condition and taking records for each of the 10 events. For example, in this tournament, I want to strengthen my throwing event, so if I focus on that, other events will not get good results. The balance is quite difficult.
The balance of which events to focus on is important.
Without the teacher, I would have ended up just being a talkative person.
――Was there anything that happened that was a turning point in your competitive career?
It was in junior high school. Ever since I saw Bolt, I had a dream of going to the Olympics, but after I became a junior high school student, I started to focus more on playing than on track and field, and this didn’t match my words. Mr. Yoshihiko Haruna, who was my homeroom teacher for the first and second years of junior high school, always supported me sincerely, even though we were in conflict. I was able to change thanks to Mr. Yoshihiko Haruna, who let me start to specialize in the four events seriously from the third year of junior high school. Without him, I would have ended up just being a talkative person.
――He is truly your mentor.
I didn’t like the idea of a “teacher” ever since I was in elementary school. Whenever something happens, it seems like it’s always my fault. Although I was also doing something bad, so I it was my fault… But Mr. Haruna was the only one who supported me no matter what I did. “You are a person who can go to the Olympics, so go on the right path”. At first I was just rebelling, but before I knew it, my heart was touched too. I promised to devote myself to track and field from the third year of junior high school onwards. I had been told this over the previous two years, so I started to feel a sense of trust, thinking, “I’ll listen to what this person has to say”.
“I would have ended up just being a talkative person”, he says gratefully.
*Courtesy of Yuma Maruyama
――From there, you decided to devote yourself to track and field. Was there a tournament in this event that made you think, “Maybe I can aim for the world championships”?
I’m the overthinking type of person who thinks “I can totally pull it off”. I had never competed in the octathlon when I entered high school, but I thought I could win the inter-high school championship and I wrote “Breaking the high school record” as my first goal in my first year of high school. Even though I never participated in the national tournament or the Kinki tournament when I was in junior high school. But actually I was able to break my high school record. I am a positive type of person. People sometimes say, “you’re too positive and it’s annoying”.
Despite the injury that threatened his competitive career, how was he able to bounce back…
――Do you ever feel depressed?
Yes sometimes, as I am also a human being. This season, at the end of April, I was able to hold back when I fell in the pole vault in a competition where I could earn points to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics. But I have to move on, and it can’t be helped what is over. I thought about how to pull myself together for the next time, but I still feel depressed.
――Is it possible to move on so quickly?
This time, I have been training in Estonia by myself since last year, with the sole aim of participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics. So there was a sense of hopelessness… But in 2019, when I was a third-year university student, I suffered a thoracic disc herniation injury and was told that I might not be able to compete anymore. Compared to that, I’m disappointed that I couldn’t participate in the Olympics, but my competitive career isn’t over yet. I was able to move on as I could aim for the next goal.
However, “My competitive career is not over yet” he says, looking ahead to the future.
――How did you motivate yourself when you suffered an injury that affected your competitive career?
When I was first told that I had a thoracic disc herniation, I didn’t really understand it. The doctor told me, don’t think about competing anymore, and you might end up in a wheelchair”, but I thought “I will get better”. Of course, I felt depressed. My left leg was numb for about 2 months and it was scary. However, the reason why I was able to recover from such a condition coincided with the time when competitive swimmer Rikako Ikee was battling leukemia. It is because I saw her. I thought, “Rikako Ikee is working hard, so I have to work hard too”.
――How did you feel when you were able to return?
I was happy! I kept going because I thought I could make a comeback, so I thought, “This is the beginning of my track and field career again!”
Even if he finds himself in a difficult situation, he will always be there to overcome it.
Golden words from Mr. Suetsugu “Don’t get rounded…”
――You scored 8021 points at this summer’s WA Mixed Tour. You were the fourth Japanese person to break the mark.
「I felt like I had spent too much time. I was told I could get 8,000 points, but I had trouble getting them as I had an injury. I was relieved to finally get it, but compared to other athletes around the world, 8000 points is honestly not a great record. It feels like this is the record that will allow me to compete against the world.
――I think Japanese athletes are physically inferior to other athletes around the world. How should you compensate for that?
I have no choice but to become a fool. In the decathlon, there are many athletes who are truly crazy. Otherwise, you won’t be able to reach that level. I am currently training in Estonia, but the training menu is extremely strict and the coach training is amazing too. By training like that, I can go beyond my limits and become a fool.
In Estonia, my coach is Erki Nool, an Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon (Sydney 2000 Olympics). He’s already retired and is 54 years old, but the way he talks to me is the eyes of someone who has overcome obstacles that even I can’t fathom! It’s hard to express, but he is definitely different from normal people. I felt that if I didn’t get to this point, I wouldn’t be able to reach the top of the decathlon.
To reach his place…
――What exactly do you mean to become a fool or to become crazy?
It’s hard to understand, isn’t it? I’m good friends with Shingo Suetsugu (4x100m relay silver medalist at the Beijing 2008 Olympics), but he told me that “You are too rounded. Be a squarer mountain. Try to be a sharp one…”
――He is amazing!
His expression was interesting and I became sure of it. That’s what makes you become a fool, or what makes you crazy. He told me “What was your past like? Didn’t you do crazy things and all kinds of things. Feelings like those from childhood are important…” But as we all grow up, we learn from various people, and we develop feelings of gratitude, and we become more mature. However, when Mr. Suetsugu said, “Don’t get rounded. Become so sharp that you become a squarer mountain!”, I was taken aback. I have to go and ask him again.
――It’s very easy to understand. But why isn’t it a triangle mountain?
That’s true! It is more sharp isn’t it. I will ask Mr. Suetsugu about that as well!
How to be a decathlete
――Last year, you participated in the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships for the first time and achieved your personal best. What was the experience like for you?
“I felt that this was the place I wanted to compete”. I was aiming for the Paris 2024 Olympics because I wanted to experience a stage like this again, but it didn’t happen. I was keenly aware of the difference between myself and the rest of the world. But it was this tournament that brought me back to my roots, or rather, revived my love for this sport. There were a lot of athletes that I can only see on TV or the internet, and I communicated with them and they also supported me. Even though I was the lowest-level among the participating athletes, the world’s top athletes still approached me. I was impressed and wondered if this was the human strength of a true decathlete. They can praise someone without thinking that they are their rivals. I got a feel for what it’s like to be a decathlete athlete, so I thought to myself, “I want to become an athlete with the heart to face each other sincerely”, even if there is a difference in level.
He got a feel for what it’s like to be a decathlete.
――What do you think is the significance of having the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo?
The atmosphere at the Budapest championship venue was amazing. I have never set foot on the National Stadium and have only seen it from above. I wonder what the stadium feels like when I stand there. I get excited thinking that the National Stadium might be filled up with spectators, and I will do my best to achieve results on that stage.
――Please tell us your goal for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
I think I have to break the Japanese record next year. I want to develop the ability to achieve that record on that stage. I would be extremely happy if I could achieve this award, which no Japanese person has yet achieved, with the support of my fans!
I just love new things!
――Please tell us your personal side from here. How do you often spend your holidays?
Basically, I go to eat breakfast in the morning. I never sleep until noon, and even if I go to bed late, I wake up at 6am. I just love new things, and in the mornings, I often try out places I’ve never been before, sometimes by taking the train. I’m not good at making schedules. When I’m relaxing in the morning, I think about where I’m going next. However, the time was only 8 am and no stores were open anywhere. Sometimes I make mistakes with the time.
――What do you do when you are at home?
I almost don’t have time to stay at home. Even when I’m at home, I don’t really turn on the TV, I just listen to music or play with my phone. Since I’m mostly outside, I just take a shower and go to sleep at home. Shunsuke Izumiya (110m hurdles) is at the training area, so we eat and talk together after we finish training. Then I go home and go to bed around 9pm.
![The photo of Maruyama leaning against the window with his right leg bent and smiling.](https://www.tokyoforward2025.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/test/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/maruyama_15.png")
After that, it depends on how he feels…!
＊Courtesy of Yuma Maruyama
――You say you like sports in general, but apart from track and field, what sports do you often watch?
I like doing sports more than watching. I like football the most. If I were to watch, it would probably be Shohei Otani’s home runs. I used to go to watch football games, but lately I haven’t been able to do that. Football is included in the training menu I receive from my coach in Estonia, but I don’t know where I should play it…. I don’t have anyone to do it with, so all I can do is practice lifting and shooting. I am looking for athletes to join me!
――In the hobby section of your profile, it says astronomical observation, do you still like it?
No, I “used to” like it. My hometown is Kaizuka City in Osaka, and there is an observatory facility called Zenbei Land. It’s close to my house and I used to go there often. However, since I came to Kanto area, I haven’t been able to go there at all. So recently, I answer “Traveling” when people ask me about my hobbies.
An unexpected incident I encountered in Bali
――So, about traveling, which place has left the most impression on you so far?
Last year I went to Hawaii, and this year I went to Bali. Both places were great. Hawaii is a vacation location. The streets of Bali weren’t all that beautiful, but I felt a sense of familiarity there. The local people were really kind. I felt the warmth of the people and the food was delicious. Bintang beer was delicious and I drank it every day.
The week before the interview, he stayed in Bali to refresh himself.
――You posted a story on Instagram about how your smartphone was stolen by a monkey.
Yes, that’s right. I went to see a Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple, but at first I was told that hats and sunglasses would be taken away by monkeys, so I left them behind. I took my smartphone with me, but when I put it down while I was resting, a monkey came up from behind and took it away… Before I knew it, there was a monkey on the edge of a cliff. The monkey went down the cliff and I thought, “That’s it…”. But the monkey tamer who was there took it back! That was amazing. I had given up on it without thinking it would come back, but the monkey tamer was incredible.
――What kind of country is Estonia, where you also went to training?
It’s a cold region, so when I went, the outside temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius. The capital, Tallinn, had the image of being an old European city that is a World Heritage Site, and it was incredibly beautiful. Last year, we spent New Year’s Eve in Estonia and had a party at a friend’s house.
City with a beautiful cityscape that could be designated as a world heritage site
Izumiya is “outstanding when it comes to track and field”
――If you were to recommend an athlete other than yourself, who would it be?
I recommend my good friend Izumiya. I feel like he’s a little off in terms of personality, but he is strict when it comes to track and field and has the ability to think carefully. He is outstanding when it comes to track and field. We competed in the octathlon when we were in high school, and our relationship grew stronger in university, and we’re on the same team as adults. We moved to the area where I live now at the same time and are really good friends.
He praises him for being “outstanding when it comes to track and field”.
*Courtesy of Yuma Maruyama
――Are there any other athletes you are good friends with?
I’ve been playing with Keisuke Okuda, who also competes in the decathlon. He likes to talk and I am always on the listening side when we are together. He likes talking, and even talks about things I don’t ask him. I am like “Whatever. Do as you please”. （laughs）
As for female athletes, I am good friends with Nagisa Takahashi (high jump), who was my junior at Nihon University. Actually, I felt that Nagisa was a bit difficult to approach, but I tried to convey my sense of seniority and asked her, “How are you doing?”
When I talked to her, she talked a lot, and after that we started talking a lot on the field. She’s a competitive person by nature, so when she loses in a game like Mario Kart, she gets so frustrated that she thinks, “Oh, this is not a match, it’s just a game, right?” But I think that’s actually the secret to her strength as an athlete!
The athlete that I think is amazing is Mako Fukube. She is also interesting. The way she treats people when they meet for the first time is amazing. She is very friendly. People say I’m friendly too, but she is a little too crazy in a sense. She can get along easily with a person meeting for the first time.
*Courtesy of Yuma Maruyama
――Are there any young athletes you are paying attention to?
The person I am paying attention to is my teammate Shota Fukuda (hammer thrower). We both graduated from Nihon University, and I know that he has a good personality. I hope that he will surpass Koji Murofushi’s record.
――Finally, please give us a message for our readers who are looking forward to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25!
If I do participate, I want to show that I am having a lot of fun playing the match and get everyone involved and get excited. I would be happy if you could fill up the National Stadium and support us. I look forward to your support!!
text by Moritaka Ohashi
photographs by Uta Mukuo
