Most Participants Ever! 2026 World Championships in South Africa! IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat) Competition, Requiring Advanced Knowledge and Technical Skills, to be Held at Odanohama Beach (Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture)! This Year's Competition Features International Athletes from Hong Kong!

The Japan Lifesaving Association (JLA, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Chairman/Takuya Iritani) will host the "4th All Japan Lifesaving IRB Competition Championships" on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Odanohama Beach (Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture). **Event Outline** * **Event Name:** 4th All Japan Lifesaving IRB Competition Championships * **Organizer:** Japan Lifesaving Association * **Date:** Sunday, May 17, 2026 (Official practice/safety training/opening ceremony on May 16) * **Venue:** Odanohama Beach (Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture) * **Support:** Miyagi Prefecture, Kesennuma City * **Cooperation:** Kesennuma City Tourism Association, IRB Promotion Association, SAK Co., Ltd., L-SHIP Co., Ltd., Spaghetti and Curry Restaurant Hash, Factory Zero Co., Ltd., Black Tide Brewing, Midcoast Marine Japan, Miyagi Lifesaving Association, Kesennuma Lifeguard * **Grant:** Japan Sport Council Sports Promotion Lottery Grant Project * **Number of Participants:** 12 teams, 83 individuals * **Event Page:** https://ls.jla-lifesaving.or.jp/lifesaving-sports/event-schedule/irb-lifesaving-2026/ **What is the All Japan IRB Competition Championships?** IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat) refers to rescue inflatable boats. In Japan, they have been used for safety management and rescue at beaches in Shizuoka, Kanagawa, and Ibaraki prefectures for about 30 years. They have also been used for security at boat and canoe competitions, and in recent years, there has been a growing momentum for the introduction of IRBs across the country. IRBs are rescue equipment with excellent mobility and capacity, contributing to increased safety at beaches and effective utilization in disaster relief activities. Operating an IRB requires advanced knowledge and technical skills. This competition aims to improve these skills through club-versus-club IRB races. This year's competition will see a record 12 teams participating. Clubs with many members will be divided into A and B teams. Last year's overall winner was "Otake Surf Lifesaving Club." The races will be held at the same venue as last year, but it is unpredictable which team will win. An international team from Hong Kong will also participate. **** * Tokai University Shizuoka Campus Lifesaving Club LOCO * Aichi Lifesaving Club * Amanohashidate Lifesaving Club * Otake Surf Lifesaving Club *2 teams participating * Kesennuma Lifeguard * Shimoda Lifesaving Club *2 teams participating * Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club *2 teams participating * Makinohara Lifesaving Club * Hong Kong China Lifesaving Team * Otake Surf Lifesaving Club Otake Surf Lifesaving Club Furthermore, at the Lifesaving World Championships 2024 (LWC2024) held in Gold Coast, Australia, in September 2024, the IRB Japan national team, "Lifesaving Japan," won medals in two events. In 2026, the "Lifesaving World Championships 2026 (LWC2026)" will be held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Currently, athletes are being developed through the IRB Athlete Development Program for selection to the IRB Japan national team for LWC2026. **IRB Athlete Development Program Candidates** **IRB Athlete Development Program Athletes** **** * Mizuki Utagawa / Otake Surf Lifesaving Club * Rina Okawa / Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club * Aki Okiyama / Makinohara Lifesaving Club * Mizuki Kimura / Otake Surf Lifesaving Club * Wakako Tomita / Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club * Shiori Hirata / Mochimune Lifesaving Club * Ran Honma / Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club * Kaede Machida / Makinohara Lifesaving Club * Hinako Mori / Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club **** * Yuta Akiike / Otake Surf Lifesaving Club * Shunsuke Amano / Makinohara Lifesaving Club * Shuya Ishida / Shingu Lifesaving Club, Yugawara Lifesaving Club, Tokai University Shonan Athletic Association * Eishin Kishi / Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club, Nippon Sport Science University * Hayate Takahashi / Shimoda Lifesaving Club * Ryuma Tateishi / Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club * Kenshi Tanaka / Otake Surf Lifesaving Club