National Cross Country Championships Results

The favorites took the top spots in most of the races at Sunday's National Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka. The front end of the U20 women's 6 km was like a replay of the 6.0 km First Stage at December's National High School Ekiden, and it couldn't have been closer. Both Kanoko Nawa, leadoff runner for ekiden winner Nagano Higashi H.S., and Akari Matsumoto, the first runner from 7th-place Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S., clocked 20:20 with Nawa getting the win in the photo finish. Narumi Okumoto, first runner from ekiden 8th-placer Kojokan H.S., was 3rd in 20:23, and Aya Kotajima, first runner from 5th-place Hakuho Joshi H.S., was 4th in 20:28.

Soma Nagahara, the first runner from Saku Chosei H.S.' runner-up team at the National High School Ekiden, won the U20 men's 8 km in another photo finish, both he and Sota Yamasaki, first runner from 12th-place Yamaguchi Kenritsu Saikyo H.S., clocking 24:01. Sota Orita (Suma Gakuen H.S.) was a close 3rd in 24:06 as the only runner in the top 3 in either U20 race not to have run at the National High School Ekiden.

Yuna Wada, one of two runners from November's National Corporate Women's Ekiden 3rd-placer Japan Post, won the senior women's 8 km in 27:22, 2 seconds ahead of Yuka Sarumida (Universal) and another 2 up on Sakura Takehara (Daiso). Wada's teammate Chika Kosakai also made the podium, taking 6th in 27:30.

The senior men's 10 km was the only race that saw a blowout win. 2016 Olympic steepler Kazuya Shiojiri, 2nd on the 15.8 km Fifth Stage for 2nd-place Fujitsu at last month's New Year Ekiden, won by 13 seconds over steeplechase NR holder Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.), 29:15 to 29:28. Itta Tameike, 5th on the First Stage for Hakone Ekiden runner-up Chuo University last month, was 2 seconds behind Miura in 3rd.

With the World Cross Country Championships already a wrap for 2023, the JAAF will choose one women and one man from among the top placers to run in the Mar. 7 Asian Cross Country Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Japan Announces Complete London Olympics Athletics Team

by Brett Larner Click here for JRN's complete video coverage of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials, 27 videos making up nearly three hours of footage. The Japanese Federation and Olympic Committee announced the complete lineup of Japan's team of 48 athletes for this summer's London Olympics track and field events at a press conference on June 11. The team features 11 national record holders and 18 current national champions and is young overall, with a heavy preponderance of first-time Olympians including a World Junior gold medalist, 13 collegiates and one high schooler. The Fujitsu corporate team is overwhelmingly the best-represented, boasting 8 Olympic team members, while Chukyo University tops the collegiate list with 3 athletes on the team. Suzuki, whose Suzuki Hamamatsu AC club team exists outside the corporate league, also has 3 Olympians. No Olympic team selection process is free of controversial decisions, and the omission of women's 10000 m Jr. NR hold

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 Tokyu 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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