Japan Doubles Medal Count of Day Five of Chengdu World University Games

Japan more than doubled its medal count on the fifth day of athletics competition at the Chengdu World University Games. Juntendo University's Haruki Manju got things started in the morning session with a bronze medal in the men's 20 kmRW in 1:25:32. That was almost 2 minutes behind winner Salih Korkmaz of Turkey, but together with teammates Kazuhiro Tateiwa, 5th in 1:26:40, and Kento Yoshikawa, 8th in 1:29:06, it was enough to score the Japanese men the team silver behind China.

The next medal came 13 hours later in the women's 5000 m. In a close race that came down to a three-way battle over the last lap Portugal's Mariana Machado Carvalho won gold in 16:02.58 over China's Yuyu Xia. Doubling from the 10000 m, Nittai University's Risa Yamazaki lost ground to the top 2 but leaned in for bronze in a photo finish with fast-closing Norwegian Amalie Saeten, 16:08.86 to 16:08.90. Ritsumeikan University's Tomo Muramatsu struggled, running only 16:51.22 for 11th.

Right after that came Japan's first gold of the Games. After running a PB of 13.29 in the opening round, Keio University's Ken Toyoda held off China's Xiaohan Ning by 0.04 to take gold in the men's 110 mH final. With range from that to a 49.76 for the 400 mH and 45.92 for the 400 m the 20-year-old Toyoda has positioned himself as one of the top young Japanese talents coming up through the ranks. Chuo University's Takumi Miyazaki was 8th in 13.83.

Nittai's Tomoya Karasawa was the top non-medalist of the day, 4th in the men's pole vault final at 5.35 m. Tsukuba University's Kazuki Furusawa failed to clear his opening height of 5.10 m and was a NM. The lone Japanese woman in the 20 kmRW, Ritsumeikan's Ayane Yanai was 6th in 1:38:51, almost 5 minutes behind winner Meryem Bekmez of Turkey. Raika Murakami of Kyushu Kyoritsu University was likewise 6th in the women's hammer throw final with a 62.02 m 1st attempt. Akari Funada of Mukogawa Women's University was 8th in the triple jump final with an opening jump of 13.23 m -0.1 m/s. Shigakkan University's Yuri Tanaka also finished out of the medals in the women's heptathlon, where gold went to Poland's Isabel Posch.

In qualifying rounds, Yuto Toriumi of Nihon University made the men's long jump final, jumping 7.54 m +2.0 m/s for 5th in Group B on his 2nd attempt. The men's 4x100 m relay team also made the final with a solid 38.98 for 2nd in Heat 1 behind South Africa's excellent 38.73. China ran 38.93 for the top spot in Heat 2 and Poland 38.74 in Heat 3, setting up a great race for the medals in the final. The Japanese women's 4x100 m relay team failed to make the final, finishing 4th in Heat 1 in 44.92. The men's 4x400 m was a DNS.

Complete day 5 results here. The Chengdu World University Games continue through Sunday.

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