Olympic-bound Kiyomi Watanabe vows to give her all amid heavy expectations

Kiyomi Watanabe will carry not only the flag but also the expectations of the whole country when she sets foot in the Tokyo Olympics.

Watanabe, the judoka ace who was named one of the Philippines' flag bearers along with pole vaulter EJ Obiena, has been ramping up her crucial buildup for the Summer Games as she eyes to deliver the elusive gold medal.

Philippine Judo Federation president Dave Carter shared that the whole "Team Kiyomi" has been assisting the 24-year-old athlete in her Tokyo spadework.

"Her coach, Yazaki Yuta, and the entire 'Team Kiyomi' is assisting her. The other weekend they went on a high altitude training followed by dojo training in Yamanashi," Carter said in an interview with GMA News Online Sunday.

"She alternates training in Waseda University where there are also foreign participants doing preparations there."

But while Watanabe's training has been intensified, Carter said they are tempering their expectations in order to not put too much pressure on the Filipina-Japanese atahlete's shoulders.

"She promises to give her 100% as there is a heavy expectation on her after being chosen as the flag bearer which she treasures very much," the official added, noting that Watanabe is the first Filipina judoka to see action in the quadrennial meet.

"Past representatives were all males, this time is historical for Philippine Judo and a big honor for Kiyomi and us of course."

Watanabe was the country's 14th Filipino to punch a ticket to the Tokyo Games after she placed 41st in the women's -63 kg with 1,506 points.

Judo is slated to kick off from July 24 to 31 at the Nippon Budokan with around 386 judoka competing in 15 events. The Filipina, however, will formally plunge into action on July 27.

—JMB, GMA News