Skip to main content

Matsumiya Doubles With 5000 m Victory

by Brett Larner



Men`s 5000 m national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica-Minolta) scored his second victory of the 2008 Japanese National Track and Field Championships, winning the 5000 m in 13:47.81. Although his winning time was far from the Olympic A-standard, Matsumiya came to the competition holding a valid A-standard and thus is guaranteed a spot on the Beijing Olympics team in the 5000 m to go with the spot he holds in the 10000 m.

The real story, however, was not Matsumiya`s win but the return of Waseda University senior Kensuke Takezawa. Takezawa, one of the most talented runners Japan has ever produced, has been seriously injured since December and has not raced since January`s Hakone Ekiden. He was on the start list for the National Championships 10000 m but did not run. His appearance in the 5000 m caused audible surprise within Todoroki Stadium. Takezawa ran a conservative race, staying far back in the pack and not moving up until the final kilometer. With 200 m to go he was nearly 50 m behind Matsumiya, but Takezawa was able to unleash his famous kick and almost caught the unwitting leader, finishing less than 2 seconds behind. While only Matsumiya is guaranteed a place on the Beijing Team, Takezawa is likely to be named to the team as well on the strength of both his A-standard qualifier and the quality he showed in a comeback race in less than full fitness.

The other man in the field holding a 5000 m Olympic A-standard, 10000 m 3rd place finisher Yu Mitsuya (Team Toyota Kyushu) showed signs of fatigue from the 10000 m, finishing 12th in 13:59.32. Mitsuya, a teammate and training partner of half marathon world record holder Samuel Wanjiru, scored only a B-standard in the 10000 m.

Leader`s Splits
1 km: 2:43.1 2 km: 5:35.6 3 km: 8:28.5 4 km: 11:10.02 5 km: 13:47.81

Top Finishers
1. Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica-Minolta): 13:47.81 (selected for Olympic team)
2. Kensuke Takezawa (Waseda Univ.): 13:49.73
3. Osamu Ibata (Team Otsuka Seiyaku): 13:51.82
4. Takuya Fukatsu (Komazawa Univ.): 13:53.66
5. Satoru Kitamura (Team Nissin Shokuhin): 13:54.71
6. Satoshi Irifune (Team Kanebo): 13:55.17
7. Keita Akiba (Team Komori): 13:55.31
8. Tomohiro Seto (Team Kanebo): 13:55.85
9. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Komazawa Univ.): 13:57.46
10. Kazuhiro Maeda (Team Kyudenko): 13:57.81

Complete results are available here.

(c) 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Yuta Shitara Breaks Japanese Men's Half Marathon National Record in Berlin Marathon Tuneup at Usti nad Labem Half

A week after his 28:55 at the Birell Prague Grand Prix 10 km and just eight days out from the Berlin Marathon, Yuta Shitara (Honda) made the great leap forward, taking 8 seconds off Atsushi Sato's 2007 half marathon Japanese national record, finishing 8th at the Czech Republic's Usti nad Labem Half Marathon.

Shitara is probably most well-known outside Japan for going through halfway under 62 minutes during his marathon debut at this year's Tokyo Marathon and still ending up with a 2:09:27, but he's been turning heads in Japan since his second year at Toyo University when he broke a stage record at the 2012 Hakone Ekiden and outkicked the U.S.A.'s Dathan Ritzenhein to finish in 1:01:48 at the NYC Half two months later, until this year the fastest time ever by a Japanese man on U.S soil.

Three weeks before Tokyo this year he ran a 1:01:19 PB at the Marugame Half. Many people would call that a solid tuneup three weeks out from a serious marathon, but eight days? In P…
Post a Comment
Read more

Men's Marathon Rout - JAAF Executives Announce Resignation

http://www.nikkansports.com/olympic/rio2016/athletics/news/1698472.html

translated by Brett Larner

In the Rio de Janeiro Olympics men's marathon on Aug. 21, Satoru Sasaki (30) was the top Japanese man at 16th in 2:13:57.  Suehiro Ishikawa (36) was 36th, with Hisanori Kitajima (31) placing 94th.

At the end of athletics competition Japan's total was two medals and two top eight finishes, a total exceeding the JAAF's target one medal but falling short of its goal of five top eight finishes.  JAAF strengthening committee chairman Kazunori Asaba (55) announced that he intends to resign his position following the Rio Olympics.  Strengthening committee vice-chairman Katsumi Sakai (56) and director of men's marathoning Takeshi Soh (63) are also expected to join the exodus of resignations.  Japanese athletics will be forced to make a fresh start before the Tokyo Olympics.

Post a Comment
Read more

Kawauchi Wins BMW Oslo Marathon in Fastest Time Since 1986

Running his first race of any distance since finishing 9th at last month's London World Championships, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) won Saturday's BMW Oslo Marathon in the fastest time in Oslo since before he was born.

Pre-race Kawauchi's goal was to take a shot at the 2:12:58 Norwegian all-comers record, the fastest time ever run on Norwegian soil. With a new two-loop course featuring a pair of tough hills interspersed by a flat seaside section on each loop his game plan was to try to run 3:10/km until midway through the second lap, then try to push it on the climb and descent of the last hill to make up whatever seconds he needed.

15 km into the first lap he was 10 seconds ahead of schedule in 47:20 and 90 seconds clear of 2nd place, but the steep hill starting a kilometer later took its toll and by 20 km he was 24 seconds behind.  Over the second lap the strong sunlight and warmer than usual temperatures and the two weeks he took off after London also began …
1 comment
Read more