Hironaka Breaks Fukushi's 5000 m NR - Tokyo Olympics Athletics Day Four Japanese Results

In the morning session on day four of track and field competition at the Tokyo Olympics, Yuki Hashioka became the first Japanese man since the 1984 Los Angeles Games to make an Olympic long jump top eight. Having jumped 8.17 m in the qualifying round to rank 3rd in the final, Hashioka struggled to perform up to ability. making the top 8 cutoff after three jumps but failing to clear 8 m.

On his final jump he delivered a 8.10 m to place 6th, visibly disappointed but still the best Japanese men's Olympic performance in 37 years and 8 cm further than Junichi Usui's bronze medal jump in Los Angeles.

In the women's 1500 m heats, Nozomi Tanaka shaved another sliver off her record to qualify for the semifinal in 4:02.33. Past national champion Ran Urabe ran a PB 4:07.90 but did not advance.

In the evening session, Ryuji Miura was the lone Japanese man in the men's 3000 m steeplechase final in just his second serious international race, the first being his national record-breaking heat. Out slower than he was comfortable with, Miura took the lead in the early going. But in the second half he seemed to lack the spark that had illuminated his three national record-breaking runs this season, dropping back into the double digits before kicking hard to finish 7th in 8:16.90, 7 seconds off the NR he'd run in his first round heat.

But whatever disappointment he might have felt, in post-race interviews Miura seemed mostly positive and eager to work out the problems that surfaced this time. Given that he's only been running at this level for a year, and still turned in Japan's al-time best Olympic steeple result you'll probably be hearing his name again in Oregon next year and Paris two years later.

Like Miura, Ririka Hironaka was uncomfortable with the slow pace in the women's 5000 m final over the first 200 m and took over the lead with something she was more comfortable with. As in her first round heat that was right around 3:00/km, with a first 1000 m in 3:00.7. From there she ran each 1000 m progressively faster, even when sucked in by the pack, hanging on to the back, getting dropped, and kicking in, going 3:00.7 - 3:00.1 - 2:59.9 - 2:57.9 - 2:54.2, uncharacteristically throwing off the hat she wears in every race with about 1000 m to go.

Hironaka finished 9th in 14:52.84, her second PB in two races and bettering the great Kayoko Fukushi's national record by less than 0.4. It was the last remaining major record of Fukushi's still standing, and with its erasure her name now appears only next to the U20 women's 3000 m. At the rate Hironaka is going this won't be the last time she adds her name to the record books. Her next chance comes Saturday in the women's 10000 m final.

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

Currently the #10-ranked Japanese man in the marathon with the fastest-ever domestic time at the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) made his international debut at Sunday's Copenhagen Marathon , literally an international debut as it was his first time outside the country. Ichiyama hoped to be in contention to break the 2:08:23 CR and go for the win, and with cool and breezy conditions ran easy in the lead group through 30 km. But something ate away at almost everyone as time went by, several people in the lead men's and women's groups saying humidity, and past 30 km Ichiyama fell off. Falling as low as 9th, he rallied after 40 km to finish 8th in 2:13:07. "It was different than in Japanese races," he said. "I'm used to bigger packs and more even pacing, but this was a kind of racing I hadn't done before. There's a lot to think about. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, but I got really thirsty and started sk

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

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,

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