Skip to main content

Japanese Men's 4 x 100 m Team Renewing Lineup

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20090424-486487.html

translated by Brett Larner

Japan's bronze medal-winning men's 4 x 100 m relay team from the Beijing Olympics is in the process of changing both its lineup and running order Rikuren has announced following a committee meeting at Tokyo's National Training Center in Ota Ward. Longtime anchor Nobuharu Asahara retired last fall, and second leg runner Shingo Suetsugu is taking the season off, necessitating the changes in the leadup to this summer's World Championships in Berlin. Sprint Division director Shunji Karube commented, "We're aiming to make the final at the World Championships, but there is much to do before then. With half our regular team gone we're in a tough position. We haven't made any decisions about the team's lineup or running order yet but will watch this spring's Grand Prix series and see who's who." The new team is expected to be announced following the May 9 International Osaka Grand Prix meet.

Comments

V. said…
Just curious - any idea why Suetsugu is taking the season off? Is he recovering from an injury?
Brett Larner said…
No, I haven't heard any explanation. He didn't really look in shape at the TV commercial shoot a couple of weeks ago.

Most-Read This Week

Japan Announces Complete London Olympics Athletics Team

by Brett Larner Click here for JRN's complete video coverage of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials, 27 videos making up nearly three hours of footage. The Japanese Federation and Olympic Committee announced the complete lineup of Japan's team of 48 athletes for this summer's London Olympics track and field events at a press conference on June 11.  The team features 11 national record holders and 18 current national champions and is young overall, with a heavy preponderance of first-time Olympians including a World Junior gold medalist, 13 collegiates and one high schooler.  The Fujitsu corporate team is overwhelmingly the best-represented, boasting 8 Olympic team members, while Chukyo University tops the collegiate list with 3 athletes on the team.  Suzuki, whose Suzuki Hamamatsu AC club team exists outside the corporate league, also has 3 Olympians. No Olympic team selection process is free of controversial decisions, and the omission of women's 10000 m Jr. NR hold

Yamagata-Based Alexander Mutiso Aims to Be #1 in Paris Olympics Marathon

Having been named to the Kenyan men's team for this summer's Paris Olympics, Alexander Mutiso , 27, of the Nanyo, Yamagata-based ND Software corporate team, told the Yamagata Newspaper on May 13 that his goal for the Olympic marathon is "to be #1." Having lived in Yamagata for 10 years, Mutiso has strong attachment to the area and credits its environment for helping him develop, saying, "Ever since I came to Yamagata I've been running well." He left for Kenya on May 14 to join the Kenyan national team training camp, aiming to be in perfect condition when he arrives in Paris for the main event. Mutiso came to Japan in 2015, joining the ND Software team and taking up residence in Nanyo. "I don't like the cold winters in Yamagata so much, but the other seasons are nice." From that base he has grown into the athlete he is now, competing in races across Japan and around the world. Compared to the track, his strengths lie more in long road races

'Reinstate Olympic Marathon Prospects Unfairly Disqualified by World Athletics'

A petition for World Athletics to allow the ten men who made the Paris Olympics marathon quota via world rankings but were replaced by unqualified universality place athletes to run. Sent to JRN by the race director of a major marathon.