by Brett Larner
Men`s 5000 m
Takayuki Matsumiya
Born: Feb. 21, 1980, Akita Prefecture
Team Affiliation: Konica-Minolta
Olympic Event PBs: 5000m: 13:13.20, 2007 – NR; 10000m: 27:41.75, 5/4/08
Season Highlights:
-National Champion, 5000m: 13:47.81, 6/28/08
-National Champion, 10000m: 27:51.27, 6/26/08
-All-time Japanese 4th best, Cardinal Invitational 10000m: 27:41.75, 5/4/08
Career Highlights:
-WR, 30 km (road): 1:28:00, 2005
-NR, 5000m: 13:13.20, 2007
-National Champion, 5000m and 10000m, 2006-2008
-World T&F Championships 10000m, 2007
-World Half Marathon Championships, 2001, 2005
-2nd place, Rotterdam Marathon, 2007
Still young, Takayuki Matsumiya has the potential to be the successor to Toshinari Takaoka`s domination of Japanese men`s distance running. After setting the current world record for 30 km in 2005, Matsumiya has controlled the 5000m and 10000m in Japan, winning national titles in both distances for the last three years and setting the 5000m national record of 13:13.20 in 2007 and a 10000m PB of 27:41.75 at the 2008 Cardinal Invitational, almost touching the national record at the longer distance. Although Matsumiya is the national record holder in the 5000m, his time is not competitive with those of the top African runners. He will be additionally hampered by having run in the 10000m and will need a good performance to advance beyond the heats.
Kensuke Takezawa
Born: Oct. 11, 1986, Hyogo Prefecture
Team Affiliation: Waseda University
Olympic Event PB: 5000m: 13:19.00, 2007
Season Highlights:
-2nd place, Nat’l T&F Championships 5000m: 13:49.73, 6/28/08
-Stage Best, Hakone Ekiden 3rd Stage (21.5 km): 1:03:32, 1/2/08
Career Highlights:
-Univ. NR, 5000m: 13:19.00, 2007
-Nat’l Univ. Champion, 5000m, 2007
-World T&F Championships 10000m, 2007
-World XC Championships, 2006
-2nd place, Nat’l T&F Championships 5000m, 2008
-2nd place, Nat’l T&F Championships 10000m, 2007
-All-time Japanese 9th best, Cardinal Invitational 10000m: 27:45.59, 2007
Kensuke Takezawa is, along with Yuki Sato, one of two current university students who show the potential to become great international talents. In 2007 he set the university national record of 13:19.00 in the 5000m and the all-time 2nd best university record of 27:45.59 in the 10000m. He also finished 2nd in the 10000m at the 2007 National Championships, earning him a spot in the Osaka World Championships 10000m. At the World Championships normally stoic Takezawa was visibly nervous starting next to Eritrea`s Zersenay Tadesse, but the experience helped him to gain confidence and he appeared a much tougher runner throughout the fall 2007 ekiden season.
Takezawa was sidelined with a serious combination of injuries in Dec. 2007 which kept him out of all competition after January`s Hakone Ekiden in which he won his stage despite running injured. Entered in both the 10000m and 5000m at the June National Championships, Takezawa failed to show for the 10000m. His appearance in the 5000m took spectators and competitors alike by surprise. Clearly not in anywhere near peak shape, he started slowly, gradually moving up through the pack before dropping a 57-second final lap to take 2nd and earn an Olympic slot. With the 10000m his stronger event and his condition far from certain Takezawa will not be a competitive factor in the Beijing Olympics 5000m, but like last year`s World Championships the experience will do much to help aid him in a future international career should he eventually overcome his current injuries.
© 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
photos from Rikuren archive
Men`s 5000 m
Takayuki MatsumiyaBorn: Feb. 21, 1980, Akita Prefecture
Team Affiliation: Konica-Minolta
Olympic Event PBs: 5000m: 13:13.20, 2007 – NR; 10000m: 27:41.75, 5/4/08
Season Highlights:
-National Champion, 5000m: 13:47.81, 6/28/08
-National Champion, 10000m: 27:51.27, 6/26/08
-All-time Japanese 4th best, Cardinal Invitational 10000m: 27:41.75, 5/4/08
Career Highlights:
-WR, 30 km (road): 1:28:00, 2005
-NR, 5000m: 13:13.20, 2007
-National Champion, 5000m and 10000m, 2006-2008
-World T&F Championships 10000m, 2007
-World Half Marathon Championships, 2001, 2005
-2nd place, Rotterdam Marathon, 2007
Still young, Takayuki Matsumiya has the potential to be the successor to Toshinari Takaoka`s domination of Japanese men`s distance running. After setting the current world record for 30 km in 2005, Matsumiya has controlled the 5000m and 10000m in Japan, winning national titles in both distances for the last three years and setting the 5000m national record of 13:13.20 in 2007 and a 10000m PB of 27:41.75 at the 2008 Cardinal Invitational, almost touching the national record at the longer distance. Although Matsumiya is the national record holder in the 5000m, his time is not competitive with those of the top African runners. He will be additionally hampered by having run in the 10000m and will need a good performance to advance beyond the heats.
Kensuke TakezawaBorn: Oct. 11, 1986, Hyogo Prefecture
Team Affiliation: Waseda University
Olympic Event PB: 5000m: 13:19.00, 2007
Season Highlights:
-2nd place, Nat’l T&F Championships 5000m: 13:49.73, 6/28/08
-Stage Best, Hakone Ekiden 3rd Stage (21.5 km): 1:03:32, 1/2/08
Career Highlights:
-Univ. NR, 5000m: 13:19.00, 2007
-Nat’l Univ. Champion, 5000m, 2007
-World T&F Championships 10000m, 2007
-World XC Championships, 2006
-2nd place, Nat’l T&F Championships 5000m, 2008
-2nd place, Nat’l T&F Championships 10000m, 2007
-All-time Japanese 9th best, Cardinal Invitational 10000m: 27:45.59, 2007
Kensuke Takezawa is, along with Yuki Sato, one of two current university students who show the potential to become great international talents. In 2007 he set the university national record of 13:19.00 in the 5000m and the all-time 2nd best university record of 27:45.59 in the 10000m. He also finished 2nd in the 10000m at the 2007 National Championships, earning him a spot in the Osaka World Championships 10000m. At the World Championships normally stoic Takezawa was visibly nervous starting next to Eritrea`s Zersenay Tadesse, but the experience helped him to gain confidence and he appeared a much tougher runner throughout the fall 2007 ekiden season.
Takezawa was sidelined with a serious combination of injuries in Dec. 2007 which kept him out of all competition after January`s Hakone Ekiden in which he won his stage despite running injured. Entered in both the 10000m and 5000m at the June National Championships, Takezawa failed to show for the 10000m. His appearance in the 5000m took spectators and competitors alike by surprise. Clearly not in anywhere near peak shape, he started slowly, gradually moving up through the pack before dropping a 57-second final lap to take 2nd and earn an Olympic slot. With the 10000m his stronger event and his condition far from certain Takezawa will not be a competitive factor in the Beijing Olympics 5000m, but like last year`s World Championships the experience will do much to help aid him in a future international career should he eventually overcome his current injuries.
© 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
photos from Rikuren archive
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