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Takezawa Comes Up Short in Barcelona

by Brett Larner

Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) came up short in his quest to score a new World Championships 5000 m A-standard mark to pick up a place on this year's national team. After tuning up with a 3000 m PB of 7:49.26 at last week's Gobierno de Aragon meet in Saragossa, Spain, Takezawa ran the 5000 m at the Ciutat de Barcelona meet on July 25.

With his teammate Yuichiro Ueno, who holds a B-standard mark of 13:26.31, having already secured a spot on the Berlin team by winning last month's National Championships, Takezawa needed to run under 13:20.00. He could only muster a 13:26.90, his best time since injury troubles began two years ago and one which cleared the B-standard but not the magic A-standard. As the fastest time of the year next to Ueno's, Takezawa's Barcelona mark earns him the national team alternate position.

Barring injury or illness for Ueno, Takezawa, who along with perennial rival Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) represents the brightest hope for the next generation of Japanese men's distance running, will stay home in August after having run in the 2007 World Championships and 2008 Olympics. Sato, who likewise set a 3000 m PB last week, has one final chance to make the Berlin team in the 5000 m when he runs today's Flanders Cup meet in Brasschaat, Belgium.

2009 Ciudad de Barcelona Meet - Men's 5000 m Top Finishers
click here for complete results
1. Silas Kipruto (Kenya) - 13:08.98
2. Jonas Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 13:15.69
3. Peter Kirui (Kenya) - 13:15.90
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6. Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) - 13:26.90

(c) 2009 Brett Larner
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