Skip to main content

Nittai University to Lose Hakone Ekiden Spot in Marijuana Scandal

http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20090416ddm041040069000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

In response to a marijuana scandal at a training facility in Yokohama involving a now-expelled pole vaulter on Nittai University's track and field team, the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association headed by Yoshiyuki Aoba informed Nittai on Apr. 15 that the school's long distance ekiden squad will lose its seeded position in next year's Hakone Ekiden. Additionally, Nittai's entire track and field team must suspend all activity for the next three months. Nittai University officials accepted the decision. An official with the Kanto Association commented, "I've never heard of a school being stripped of its Hakone seed like this before."

Nittai University had already placed the 46 members of its track and field team's pole vault and jump squad on indefinite suspension as of Mar. 26 and afterwards suspended the rest of the track and field team through the end of April. The school also elected to dismantle some of its pole vault and jump training facilities. Nittai's ekiden team has won the Hakone Ekiden nine times, including a remarkable five-year streak in the late 60's and early 70's. It finished 3rd at this year's Hakone to earn a seeded position for next year's championship, but after being stripped of its seed the team must try to requalify at October's Yosenkai 20 km Road Race.

Translator's note: It is worth noting again that the pole vaulter in question was neither arrested nor charged by police as they found no evidence to charge him with criminal activities. The new three-month suspension period includes the entire spring track season, the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Championships, the qualifying race for the National University Ekiden Championships, and the National Track and Field Championships. The school's monthly Nittai Time Trials series, the key spring track series in the Tokyo region and nationwide for professional, university, high school and serious amateur runners alike, has also been suspended. See these articles for additional background on this unfortunate case:

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/nittai-univ-track-and-field-team-under.html

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/nittai-university-marijuana.html

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/nittai-university-coaching-staff-resign.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IayHnA0cGuc
Labels:

Comments

Dusty said…
I had no idea that Japan was so strict about marijuana. It's odd considering the cultural acceptance of drinking and the fact that these are healthy, seemingly well-adjusted student athletes.

Whoops, I just noticed the article tags. Love it, particularly "hysteria!"
April 16, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

World Championships Medalist Racewalking Coach Mizuho Sakai Recognized With Highest Coaching Honor

The 2023 Mizuno Sports Mentor Awards recognizing excellence in coaching were held Apr. 23 in Tokyo. Toyo University assistant coach and race walking coach Mizuho Sakai was given a gold award, the program's highest honor, and expressed her thanks and joy in a speech at the award ceremony. The coach of 2023 Budapest World Championships men's 35 km race walk bronze medalist Masatora Kawano , Sakai said, "This is an incredible honor and I'm truly grateful. As a child I wanted to be in the sporting world and I've spent my life in that world. My end goal was always to play a supporting role for other athletes, so I'm honored to be recognized in this way." Sakai's husband Toshiyuki Sakai , head coach of Toyo's three-time Hakone Ekiden champion team, attended the awards gala with her and was also introduced to the audience. After bowing he took a seat in front of her and watched with warmth as she received recognition for her outstanding work. The Mizun
Post a Comment
Read more

Hirabayashi Runs PB at Shanghai Half, WR Holder Nakata Dominates Fuji Five Lakes - Weekend Road Roundup

Returning to the roads after his 2:06:18 win at February's Osaka Marathon, Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin University) took 5th at Sunday's Shanghai Half Marathon in a PB 1:01:23, just under a minute behind winner Roncer Kipkorir Konga (Kenya) who clocked a CR 1:00:29. After inexplicably running the equivalent of a sub-59 half marathon to win the Hakone Ekiden's Third Stage, Aoi Ota (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) was back to running performances consistent with his other PBs with a 1:02:30 for 8th. His AGU teammate Kyosuke Hiramatsu was 10th in 1:04:00. Women's winner Magdalena Shauri (Tanzania) also set a new CR in 1:09:57. Aoyama Gakuin runners took the top four spots in the men's half marathon at the Aomori Sakura Marathon , with Hakone alternate Kosei Shiraishi getting the win in 1:04:32 and B-team members Shunto Hamakawa and Kei Kitamura 2nd and 3rd in 1:04:45 and 1:04:48. Club runners took the other division titles, Hina Shinozaki winning the women's half
Post a Comment
Read more

The Ivy League at the Izumo Ekiden in Review

Last week I was contacted by Will Geiken , who I'd met years ago when he was a part of the Ivy League Select Team at the Izumo Ekiden . He was looking for historical results from Izumo and lists of past team members, and I was able to put together a pretty much complete history, only missing the alternates from 1998 to 2010 and a little shaky on the reverse transliterations of some of the names from katakana back into the Western alphabet for the same years. Feel free to send corrections or additions to alternate lists. It's interesting to go back and see some names that went on to be familiar, to see the people who made an impact like Princeton's Paul Morrison , Cornell's Max King , Stanford's Brendan Gregg in one of the years the team opened up beyond the Ivy League, Cornell's Ben de Haan , Princeton's Matt McDonald , and Harvard's Hugo Milner last year, and some of the people who struggled with the format. 1998 Team: 15th of 21 overall, 2:14:10 (43
Post a Comment
Read more