Hashimoto Seiko reflects on what’s next for her (hint: it’s not Sapporo 2030)

BEIJING — Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto Seiko is not looking for an Olympic encore.

In an interview with Around the Rings, she tells that she would not be interested in leading the organizing committee if Sapporo wins the right to host 2030 Olympic Winter Games.

Hashimoto laughed good-naturedly at the question.

“Well, I will be on the supporting side, not at the helm of the activities,” she said through an interpreter.

“When it comes to Sapporo or Hokkaido for that matter, it is a well-known place. It is regarded as the mecca in Japan of winter sports and it is a well-known tourist resort as well. So, I really hope that once again Sapporo would be given an honor to deliver the Games again.”

Sapporo, Salt Lake City and Vancouver have expressed interest in hosting the Games. For each, it would be a second time. Spain is also interested in hosting the 2030 Games.

“I’m not going to make a comment about the chance (for Sapporo), but I really would like to have it,” Hashimoto said.

On the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Hashimoto closed the books on Tokyo 2020 with her final report to the 139th IOC Session.

A few minutes later, the seven-time Olympian and 1992 speed skating bronze medalist was named the world winner of the prestigious IOC Woman and Sport Award. After delivering successful Games that some doubted would ever happen, Hashimoto is a role model for female sports administrators around the world.

“I don’t think that this award was given because of my past achievement,” she said. “I think what is meant is that I have to make a lot more efforts for the improvement of the circumstances surrounding women in sport. Not only that, I have to work for the promotion of sports and I will have to work for having greater assistance given to the women in sports domain. I think it is meant that the award is a trigger for me to make further efforts for the solution of those issues and challenges.”

What would be the next step? “What I would like to see is the maturing of gender equity in our society,” Hashimoto said. “We have to make a society where gender equality is taken for granted.”

A gender controversy led to her installation as Tokyo 2020 chief. Hashimoto took over in February 2021, replacing Yoshiro Mori whose sexist remarks forced his resignation. At the time, Hashimoto was the Olympic minister in the cabinet of prime minister Yoshihide Suga.

The Olympic Games were five months away, with the Paralympic Games to follow.

She took immediate steps to strengthen gender, diversity and inclusion, promoting female empowerment at the Games and beyond. Hashimoto doubled female representation on the Executive Board of Tokyo 2020 from 21 percent to 42 percent.

The Tokyo Games were the most gender-balanced in Olympic history.

However, Hashimoto said that Japan is regarded as a society where female empowerment “is delayed or less than developed.”

“While the world’s attention is cast on Japan, I think we have to create a society where Japan can show that the women are empowered in our country,” Hashimoto added. “With that in mind, I have increased the women’s participation rate to 42 percent. But what is important is what’s going to happen going forward, not what happened in the past.”

She said it’s not only important to empower women and girls, but also all children and the elderly, too.

“We have to create a society where the people are entitled to sports and people are entitled to healthy life through sports,” Hashimoto said. “I think we have to work to realize that.”

Women are still not equal in some Olympic sports. While monobob has been added to the program for Beijing for women, giving men and women and equal number of events in bobsled, women still want to have a four-person sled. And Nordic combined is still male-only.

“In a variety of sports, I believe that there has to be an opportunity, a chance for equality and equity,” Hashimoto said. “I think that we should make efforts so that we can create an environment where people can strive toward achieving their dreams.”

Hashimoto, 57, represented Japan at three Summer games as a track cyclist and four Winter Games as a speed skater from 1984 to 1996. She won a bronze medal in the women’s 1500m at the 1992 Albertville Olympics.

Hashimoto had been serving as the Olympic minister for the Japanese government while holding a portfolio dealing with gender equality and women’s empowerment. She was instrumental in creating a maternity leave policy and an in-house childcare facility for lawmakers in Japan.

The successful head of Tokyo 2020 told Around the Rings that her role model when she was coming up was Christa Rothenburger of East Germany, and then Germany. She was also a speed skater and cyclist who won five Olympic medals, including two golds. Hashimoto said she admired Rothenburger for studying at a university, becoming a member of her city assembly and winning Olympic medals before and after delivering a baby.

“She was such a role model which cast my way forward and I became a Diet member as well,” she said.

Hashimoto’s name Seiko is written with the same first character, “seika,” used to mean the Olympic flame in Japanese.

IOC President Thomas Bach said that he knew Hashimoto would be a great choice to lead the Tokyo organizing committee due to her unparalleled Olympic experience.

“Indeed you were a valuable partner in your term of office,” he told her at the Session. “You have a proven track record of challenging the status quo, fighting for gender equality, pushing boundaries for more inclusion and shattering glass ceilings for more equality. This award put a spotlight on your important work in Japan to empower women and girls in and through sport.

“More importantly, I hope this will motivate you to continue to be a driver for change in your country.”

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