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Shitara Quits Konica Minolta Team: "I Want to Get Myself Back Together"

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2017/03/29/kiji/20170329s00056000268000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

On Mar. 29 Konica Minolta announced that Keita Shitara, 25, has quit the corporation's ekiden team and will leave his position with the company effective Mar. 31.  As captain of the Toyo University ekiden team he led Toyo to the overall Hakone Ekiden win before graduating and joining Konica Minolta in 2014.  However, since then he has been troubled by injuries and been unable to produce the kind of results he had hoped for, leading him to inform team management of his intent to leave.  Through a statement issued by the company Shitara commented, "I want to get myself back together in a new environment."

Translator's note: Shitara is the twin brother of Yuta Shitara (Team Honda), who turned heads with his 1:01:55 first half debut at February's Tokyo Marathon.  Along with the Asahi Kasei team's Murayama twins and Ichida twins, the Shitaras are one of the most elite sets of twins in distance running worldwide today.  Keita Shitara's PBs:

  • 5000 m: 13:40.32
  • 10000 m: 27:51.54
  • half marathon: 1:01:12
  • 30 km: 1:29:55

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