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Every year, Masanori Miyamoto quietly gets a little bit better. You might’ve first noticed him almost five years ago in Tokyo, where Miyamoto placed seventh in front of a home crowd.
Since then, Masanori has grown into Team Japan’s most reliable performer:
- At Asian’s ‘23, he won his first Senior international meet with 344@73. Masanori beat Weeraphon Wichuma and Alexey Churkin to the top of the podium.
- Then, at the last-chance qualifier in 2024, he placed fourth behind Shi Zhiyong, Rizki Juniansyah, and Rahmat Erwin Abdullah. Masanori out-snatched the entire field minus those three, and gapped Zhiyong in the clean & jerk 192 to 191.
- At Worlds in Førde, Miyamoto leveled up again; silver in the total, losing by one kilogram. And, briefly, his first world records—it was our 4th-most impressive Men’s performance of the year.
How? By taking some of the gutsiest attempts you'll ever see on a weightlifting stage, like 192KG in the clean & jerk at the World Cup, or 195KG to get back into first place in Norway.
It's hard not to root for Masanori (@immasanori9723) once you've seen him perform. That's why we decided to talk to him about where he gets his courage, what his plans are for the upcoming quad, and more.
Weightlifting House x Masanori Miyamoto
Below is our interview with 2025 Worlds silver medalist Masanori Miyamoto. Portions of this interview have been edited for clarity.
Weightlifting House (WH): You described your second-place finish at Worlds 2025 as one of the most frustrating things in your life. Do you believe you can win at 75KG?
Masanori Miyamoto (MM): "I've never come that close to being number one before. It was very disappointing. I'm not sure if I can compete with the best in the 75KG class at my stature, but my goal is always to be number one in the world."
WH: Where do you get the courage to take such bold attempts?
MM: "My goal is to be the best. I can turn any feeling into courage to help achieve that goal."
WH: How does Japanese training philosophy differ from other countries in Asia?
MM: "In Japan, we have no set training schedule or centralized coaching. Each athlete has their own unique ideas about how to train.
Sometimes, that can be very powerful—but considering Japan's current power level on the international stage, that approach might be worth taking a second look at. I've heard that Korea and China have set formats, and I think that's a good thing."
WH: How did your Olympic experience in Paris compare to Tokyo?
MM: "During the Tokyo Olympics, the coronavirus protocols cut the presentation in half. And, since it was my first Olympics, I was nervous and didn't do as well as I wanted.
When I got to Paris, I was really envious of the grand scale of the Olympics. I wanted to experience that in my home country."
WH: What do you credit as making the most improvement on your weightlifting skills?
MM: "I try to practice efficiently, but I also love going to training camps in other countries. The Japanese team organizes them about once every two years.
We like to participate in training environments that differ from our usual one, to seek new stimulation. I improve every time I go to a camp."
WH: How do you spend your time when you aren't weightlifting?
MM: "I like to take long drives in nature, but I also love binging Netflix at home. Occasionally, I do some weightlifting coaching."
WH: What's something you always bring with you to international competitions?
MM: "Cup ramen! I would love for everyone in the world to try Japanese cup ramen."
