阿部詩の号泣 - Wailing of Uta Abe -

よく五輪は魔物がいると昔から言われるが、五輪柔道　阿部詩選手の予想外の敗北後、畳を降りてその場で号泣した。

悲嘆にくれる阿部を励まそうと現地の客席からは「ウタ！ウタ！」とコールまで起きていた。それでも余りのショックのため阿部詩は号泣がおさまらなかった。

次の試合に支障が出ることもあるし、本人はもはやパニック症状だからコーチは抱きかかえて控え室に連れて行った方が良いと思った。

東京五輪で優勝した後、両肩の手術を乗り越え長年の苛酷な練習と常勝の重圧に耐えて挑んだ五輪で、この予想外の早期敗退は相当なショックであったからこそ人目をはばからず号泣したのだろう。見ていて私もショックで呆然としてしまった。

東京五輪が無観客だったのでご家族は現地でスタンドから声援を送った。この兄妹に愛情を注ぎ、最善をつくして援助し続けた両親に兄妹連覇のダブル金メダルを見せたかったに違いないが　その願いも一瞬にして消えた。スタンドで見ていたご両親は号泣する娘に駆け寄って抱きしめてあげたかったろうと思う。

スポーツの勝負の世界は厳しい。勝者が強者で敗者は弱者。どんなに強くとも試合が終るまでわからない。そんなことは彼らが一番している。兄妹とも大きな試合で一瞬の判断で敗退する悔しい体験をしてきた。

確かに相手が強かったのは事実だが、ＳＮＳなどで世間の反応をみたら、「見苦しい」「弱かっただけだ」「奢りだ」とかいったこの号泣の姿に対する非難のコメントが予想外にとても多いのに驚いた。そうした批判的なコメントの投稿者は、反日の近隣の国の人らしき投稿も散見されたが、多くは日本人だった。他の外国人のコメントの多くは「かわいそうだ」「この経験をバネにまた４年後ガンバレ」など暖かい内容だった。

どういう人が非難したのか、性別、年齢、職種など知る由もないが、日本人は我慢して感情を押し殺すことが美徳という昔ながらの考えがあるからこういう非難が多いのかも知れない。諸外国の多くは日本に比較して感情をあらわにして喜びも悲しみもあからさまに表現するから、今回のことも見苦しいと思う人は少いのかもしれない。

まあ、どうあれ　努力に路力を重ねた兄妹の夢をご両親に見せてあげられなかった無念からのパニック状況の号泣を非難する人々が沢山いるのには驚いた。こういう人は一体どんなご立派な生き方をされておられるのかお聞きしたいものだ。人生で幾度となく訪れる湧き上がる全ての感情を殺して生きているのか？　本人に合ったこともなく彼らの生活のことを大して知らないのによくぞ冷淡に言い放せるものだ。きっと自分にも厳しくし仙人のように生きているのでだろう。

そんな厳しく評する気力があるならその矛先は　腐り堕ちた自分の国の政治にでも向けたらどうか？　

彼女の涙は許せないのに 腐敗政治は許せるのか？

不快な暗い気持ちになった深夜、彼女と共に苦節の日々を歩んだ兄、阿部一二三選手の圧倒的に強い試合運びと勝利の笑顔が少し私の気持ちを落ち着かせてくれた。

It's been said that there are demons at the Olympic Games. After the unexpected defeat of Olympic judoist Uta Abe, Just after she got off the mat she was so sad and kept crying on her eyes out there. The local spectators in the venue for the match even called out "Uta! Uta!" to encourage the heartbroken girl but she could not stop crying due to the shock. Watching on TV, I thought that it might afraid the next match on the same mat would be delayed and that she was already in a panic and her coach should pick her up and take her to the waiting room. After winning in the Tokyo Olympics, she overcame surgery on both shoulders, endured years of hard practice and the pressure of constant victory, and this unexpected early defeat was a considerable shock, which is why she was crying and burst into tears without any regard for public attention. I was also shocked and stunned watching it. Since the Tokyo Olympics were held without spectators, the family cheered from the stands on site. They must have wanted to show her and her brother’s double gold medal victories in a row to their parents, who had showered love on them and continued to support them as best they could since they were small kids, but that wish disappeared in an instant. I am sure her parents who were watching from the stands couldn’t help running up by their crying girl and give her a hug tightly.

The world of competitive sports is tough. I know it's always winner is the strong and looser was weaker than the winner. No matter how strong the athletes are, no one knows the outcome until the game is over.They are the ones who do that the most. Both she and her brother have had the frustrating experience of losing a big game because of a split-second decision so far. 

Looking at the public's reactions on social media, I was shocked to see an unexpected number of critical comments about her crying, such as "unsightly," “she was just weak," and “she's arrogant." And while there were some comments that seemed to be from neighboring countries that are anti-Japanese, most of such critical comments were posted by Japanese. Most of the comments from other foreigners were heartwarming and encouraging such as "I feel sorry for him," and "I hope he will use this experience as a springboard to do his best again in the next Olympic Game.

I have no way of knowing who made the criticism, their gender, age, occupation and stuff, but probably there are many such criticisms because Japanese people have an old-fashioned idea that it is virtuous to endure and suppress emotions. In many other countries, most people are more open about their emotions and express their joy and sorrow more blatantly than in Japan, so there I could find few people who think it’s unsightly either. 

It was a pity for her that she couldn't show her parents the dreams of the bro and sis who had worked hard and achieved their goals and heartbreaking to imagine how they felt.

I would like to ask what kind of noble life such critical people lead. Do they live their lives suppressing all the emotions that well up in them countless times? How can they be so callous in their comments when they have never met them and don't know much about their lives?  They must be the guys who are strict with themselves and live like a saints.

Hah ? If they have the energy to criticize so harshly, why not direct it at the corrupt politics of their own country ?

They can't forgive her tears, but can they forgive corrupt politics ?

Late at night, when I was feeling uncomfortable and gloomy, the overwhelmingly strong gameplay and winning smile of her brother Hifumi Abe, ho had walked through those hard days with her, helped me calm down a little. Great to see his two consecutive winning in Olympic Games.