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Rikuren Plans Men's Training Camp in Kenya (updated)

http://www.nikkei.com/sports/news/article/g=96958A9C81818A9996E2E0EBE18DE0E1E3E3E0E2E3E3E2E2E2E2E2E2;da=96958A88889DE2E0E3EAEAE5E6E2E0E3E3E0E0E2E2EBE2E2E2E2E2E2

translated by Brett Larner

Federation officials announced on Nov. 23 that they will be organizing a three-week altitude training camp in Kenya from January to February next year.  The camp is targeted toward five or six of the country's best track athletes, with corporate runners Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) and Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) on the list along with university men Akinobu Murasawa (Tokai Univ.) and Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Meiji Univ.).  The Japanese runners will train alongside Kenyan athletes at 3000 m elevation.  A federation spokesperson commented, "This is the way for us to regain our international competitiveness.  By travelling there we hope our athletes will observe and learn about the Kenyan style, including their day to day lives."

Translator's note: Shortly after this story appeared Miyawaki tweeted, "I'm going to Kenya?  I haven't heard anything about it....."  Today he tweeted, "Nobody interviewed me yesterday [at the International Chiba Ekiden] but somehow there's a quote going around now saying that I said I want to go on the Kenya training camp."

Update: A new article out today lists the athletes taking part in the camp as Takezawa, Murasawa, Yoroizaka, Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin), Kazuya Watanabe (Team Shikoku Denryoku) and Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta), Japan's top six men on the track.  No mention of Miyawaki, although he has performed at about the same level as the other six this year.
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