OKAZAKI Haruka, a women’s canoe slalom athlete supported by TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd. and affiliated with TODA CORPORATION, competed at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Competing in the women’s canoe single event at the Yahagi River Canoe Slalom Course, OKAZAKI finished second in the heats and sixth in the semi-final.

In the heats, OKAZAKI recorded an impressive time, finishing just 0.26 seconds behind the leader to advance to the semi-final in second place. Aiming for an even higher position, she took an aggressive approach in the semi-final but capsized near the end. She then righted herself, rejoined the course and completed her run.

Following the competition, OKAZAKI commented:
“In the heats, I finished just 0.26 seconds behind the Chinese competitor, which gave me a strong sense of confidence in my performance. In the semi-final, I was highly conscious of my positioning and maintained an aggressive paddling approach, which ultimately led to a mistake that left me deeply disappointed. Nevertheless, I see it as a mistake that came precisely because I raced aggressively, and as proof that I was challenging myself to reach the next level. I intend to build on both the confidence I gained and the lessons learnt from this competition to become an even stronger athlete.”

OKAZAKI is scheduled to compete in the 2026 Japan Canoe Slalom Championships, to be held at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre in Edogawa, Tokyo, on 24 and 25 October 2026. TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING will continue to support OKAZAKI as she strives to compete on the world stage.

Competition Overview
Competition: 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026
Discipline: Canoe Slalom
Event: Women’s Canoe Single
Venue: Yahagi River Canoe Slalom Course in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture
Results: 2nd in the heats; 6th in the semi-final