Honda and Okamoto Break NR, Nonaka and Murayama Take XC Medals

Honda and Okamoto Break NR, Nonaka and Murayama Take XC Medals - Weekend Update

We've been in transit back from NYC, where Komazawa University 2nd-year Shunsuke Kuwata turned in the fastest-ever half marathon by a Japanese man outside Japan, and are catching up on a busy weekend in Japan and elsewhere.

Saturday saw 2 new records and 2 international medals. At the rebranded Fukuoka Ohori Road Running race, Ojiro Honda (Tottori Johoku H.S.) took 1 second off the NR in the men's road mile, coming up just short of a sub-4 in 4:00.2. Laura Nicholson (Ireland) won the women's mile in 4:44 by 3 seconds over Yuzu Nishide (Daihatsu).

Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) had a big win in the women's 5 km, outrunning the more accomplished Medina Eisa (Ethiopia) and Margaret Akidor (Comodi Iida) to win in 15:15 with Medina 2nd in 15:20 and Akidor 3rd in 15:33. Marathoner Mao Uesugi (Tokyo Metro) was the top Japanese finisher at 4th in 16:11. Kio Furuhashi (Surugadai Univ.) took the men's 5 km in 13:45 by 2 seconds over steepler Ryoma Aoki (Honda), 2nd in 13:47 after doubling in the mile with a 4:03.0 for 3rd.

No Japanese athletes won individual medals at the IAU 50 km World Championships in New Delhi, India, but Haruki Okayama (Comodi Iida) came through with a 2:50:44 for 8th in the men's race, breaking the Asian area record behind winner Alex Milne (Great Britain), 1st in 2:46:09 to lead a British sweep of the top 6. 100 km NR holder Jumpei Yamaguchi was 23rd in 3:07:28 and Hiroki Kai 29th in 3:16:42 to put Japan 6th in the team scoring.

Hina Shiozaki led the Japanese women at 10th in 3:27:41, Mai Fujisawa and Haruna Takano going 13-14 in 3:34:32 and 3:35:50 to land the team bronze for Japan. A 1-2 finish by Naomi Robinson and Katrina Ballantyne gave Great Britain the women's team gold to go along the men's, Poland taking silver.

There were 2 individual medals for Japan at the FISU World University Cross Country Championships in Cassino, Italy on Saturday. Hiromichi Nonaka (Koku Gakuin Univ.) dueled with Ugandans Elisha Yeko and Solomon Cherotwo in the men's long race. Yeko won out in 30:27, with Nonaka holding off Cherotwo by 4 seconds to take silver in 30:36. Sota Orita (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) was 9th in 31:16.

In the women's long race Amisa Murayama (Tohoku Fukushi Univ.) took bronze in 35:41 behind gold medalist Lucia Arnoldo (Italy), 35:20, and silver medalist Nursena Ceto (Turkey), 35:35. Haruka Ogawa (Rikkyo Univ.) was 9th in 36:44.

Other university women were in action at the Matsue Ladies' Half Marathon on Sunday, the host of the National University Women's Half Marathon Championships. Yumi Yamada (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) broke free of a pack of 10 in the last 5 km to win in 1:11:26, with Momoka Tsutano (Daito Bunka Univ.) 2nd in 1:11:59 and Sakura Yumiki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) 3rd in 1:12:03. Collegiate athletes took the top 6 places, corporate leaguer Kurumi Yoda (Panasonic) coming in 7th in 1:12:31.

After a 2:07:39 PB for 8th by Naoya Sakuda (JR Higashi Nihon) last year, the Seoul Marathon continues to grow as another option on the late winter calendar for Japanese marathoners. This time around Daisuke Uekado (Otsuka Seiyaku), already qualified for the 2027 L.A. Olympics marathon trials after winning August's Hokkaido Marathon in 2:11:36, was 12th in 2:09:03 after holding 2:06 pace through 25 km. Kensuke Horio (MABP Maverick) had to hit the 2:06:30 time standard in Seoul to qualify, but like Uekado he fell off that pace after 25 km and finished 15th in 2:10:01.

After a 2:34:41 PB at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in January and a 2:37:39 CR 3 weeks later to win the Kyoto Marathon, Miyu Fukada (Ritsumeikan Univ.) ran an evenly-paced race for 13th in Seoul, coming just short of her PB in 2:35:00.

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges. Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...

Chisato Fukushima Selected as First Women`s 100 m Olympian in 56 Years

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080706-00000027-yom-spo http://www.47news.jp/CN/200807/CN2008070601000467.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On July 6 Rikuren announced that it has added women`s 100 m runner Chisato Fukushima (20, Hokkaido HiTec AC) to the Beijing Olympic team. Fukushima will become the first Japanese woman to compete in the Olympic 100 m since Ayako Yoshikawa ran in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Fukushima broke the Olympic B-standard of 11.42 with her national record-tying 11.36 mark at April`s Oda Memorial Meet. Although she won June`s National Track and Field Championships, Fukushima was not initially selected for the team as she did not meet the Olympic A-standard. In light of her victory at today`s Nambu Memorial Meet in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Rikuren reversed its decision and added her to the Olympic team lineup. Fukushima reacted to the news of her Beijing ticket by saying, "It hasn`t really hit me that it`s real yet. I would be honored to be the tri...

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