Fukushi Gets 5000 m Olympic A, Osako Sub-28 at Golden Games in Nobeoka

by Brett Larner

After failing to qualify for the London Olympics in the marathon, 5000 m national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) successfully regrouped at the May 12 Golden Games in Nobeoka meet, clearing the Olympic A-standard as she narrowly finished 2nd behind Kenyan Sally Chepyego (Team Kyudenko) 15:18.01 to 15:18.46. No other women were even close to the lead pair, with Ai Igarashi (Team Sysmex) 3rd in 15:33.80.

The bid for Olympic A qualifying times in the men's 10000 m was less successful. Waseda University 3rd-year Suguru Osako, the Asian half-marathon junior record holder, 2011 World University Games 10000 m gold medalist and 1500 m national university 1500 m champion, emerged from a small pack chasing the time behind pacer and Osaka WC bronze medalist Martin Mathathi (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) to give it a good shot but faded over the last 2000 m. He nevertheless succeeded in breaking 28 for the first time, 2nd in a photo-finish with Mathathi in 27:56.94 to become the second Japanese collegiate sub-28 this season. Komazawa University junior Shinobu Kubota was 3rd in a PB of 28:07.01 as the pros in the field all faltered.

Paced by World XC silver medalist Paul Tanui (Team Kyudenko), the men's 5000 m was far from hitting even the B-standard but very entertaining. Former 1500 m and 5000 m national champion Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) ran a wild and erratic race, going out on national record pace far ahead of Tanui, fading far back into the pack, and then surging at the end to retake 2nd in a season-best 13:38.21. 10000 m year-leader Daisuke Shimizu (Team Kanebo) took the win in a PB of 13:36.69, promising in post-race interviews to hit an Olympic-standard time at next month's National Championships.

2012 Golden Games in Nobeoka
Nobeoka, Miyazaki, 5/12/12
click here for complete results

Men's 10000 m
1. Martin Mathathi (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 27:56.87
2. Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) - 27:56.94 - PB
3. Shinobu Kubota (Komazawa Univ.) - 28:07.01 - PB
4. Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:09.49
5. Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:11.22
6. Takuya Fukatsu (Team Asahi Kasei) - 28:18.24
7. Ryuji Kashiwabara (Team Fujitsu) - 28:25.37
8. Sota Hoshi (Team Fujitsu) - 28:25.85
9. Shota Yamaguchi (Team Fujitsu) - 28:36.91
10. Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) - 28:40.43

Women's 5000 m A-Heat
1. Sally Chepyego (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) - 15:18.01
2. Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) - 15:18.46
3. Ai Igarashi (Team Sysmex) - 15:33.80
4. Tomoka Inadomi (Team Wacoal) - 15:35.46
5. Toshika Tamura (Matsuyama Univ.) - 15:39.84
6. Miyuki Uehara (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) - 15:47.88 - PB
7. Risa Takenaka (Team Shiseido) - 15:51.32
8. Kotomi Takayama (Team Sysmex) - 15:55.61
9. Mai Ito (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 15:56.94
10. Yuki Mitsunobu (Team Kyocera) - 16:02.00

Men's 5000 m A-Heat
1. Daisuke Shimizu (Team Kanebo) - 13:36.69 - PB
2. Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) - 13:38.21
3. Kazuharu Takai (Team Kyudenko) - 13:39.76
4. Yasunori Murakami (Team Fujitsu) - 13:44.30
5. Keita Baba (Team Honda) - 13:44.44
6. Ryotaro Nitta (Team Konica Minolta) - 13:44.86
7. Yu Mitsuya (Team Toyota Kyushu) - 13:45.45
8. Ryo Kiname (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) - 13:45.75
9. Ryo Matsumoto (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 13:45.96
10. Daisuke Matsufuji (Team Kanebo) - 13:46.14

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Two-Time Olympic Marathon Medalist Erick Wainaina Referred to Prosectors on Suspicion of Assault

According to investigators, two-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina has had his case referred to prosecutors after allegedly injuring a railway employee by striking him in the face at a station in Setagaya, Tokyo. Wainaina, 50, was the bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won silver in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Wainaina is suspected of assaulting a woman in her late teens and a male Tokyo Denentoshi Line employee by hitting them in the face during an altercation at Komazawa University Station in March this year, resulting in minor injuries to the man's face. According to investigators, the incident began on the train between Wainaina and the woman, and after getting off at Komazawa University Station he hit her in the face when she asked him to go to the station office with her to report it. When the male railway employee responded to the situation Wainaina reportedly hit him too. In response to questioning Wainaina is said to have answered,

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam

Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Assaulting Female Runner at Popular Tokyo Running Spot

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female runner along the banks of the Tama River in Ota Ward, Tokyo. "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go for a walk and move my body a bit," the man told police. Local resident Hirai Muroyama , 20, of no known occupation, was arrested on charges of sexual assault. He is accused of acts including grabbing the breasts of a woman in her 20s at around 10 p.m. on May 31 along the banks of the Tama River. According to police, the woman was taking a break in her run when Muroyama approached her silently from behind and grabbed her breasts before running away. Under police interrogation Muroyama told investigators, "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go out for a walk and move my body. I'd had a few drinks and was feeling pretty hype. She was totally my type." source article: https://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newsey

japan running news

Search This Blog