japan running news

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160928-00000102-nksports-spo
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160928-00000138-jij-spo

translated and edited by Brett Larner

At a board of directors meeting in Tokyo on Sept. 28, the JAAF named Koji Ito (46), holder of the 10.00 Japanese 100 m national record, its new strengthening committee chairman.  Ito was already serving as the committee's vice-chairman.  He replaces Rio de Olympics athletics head coach Kazunori Asaba (56) in the role of the person who will lead the committee in the four-year buildup to the Tokyo Olympics.  Ito commented, "As someone in athletics I wanted to be involved in the Tokyo Olympics in one capacity or another.  There won't be any instant improvement, but as we move forward I want to listen to the opinions of a wide variety of people."

The board additionally settled the dates for major 2017 domestic competitions.  The Japanese National Championships will take place June 23-25 at Osaka's Yanmar Stad…

http://www.sanspo.com/rio2016/news/20160823/rio16082305020030-n1.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

In the Aug. 21 men's marathon on the final day of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics the Japanese men suffered a crushing defeat.  Satoru Sasaki (Team Asahi Kasei) was the top Japanese man at 16th overall, while Hisanori Kitajima (Team Yasukawa Denki) was 94th, falling below even Kenjiro Jitsui's 93rd-place finish at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.  JAAF director of men's marathoning Takeshi Soh, 63, held his head in his hands as he said, "I guess maybe all we can do is try to get our fastest runners to come to the marathon and then build up their stamina."  But with the heavy emphasis placed on running ekidens wearing sponsor company logos, training and development are left up to each individual team.  Lamenting the way they are mired in lasting, deep-rooted tradition, Soh said, "At the present time we just can't seem to do that. We need the JAAF, the corpora…

http://www.nikkansports.com/olympic/rio2016/athletics/news/1698472.html

translated by Brett Larner

In the Rio de Janeiro Olympics men's marathon on Aug. 21, Satoru Sasaki (30) was the top Japanese man at 16th in 2:13:57.  Suehiro Ishikawa (36) was 36th, with Hisanori Kitajima (31) placing 94th.

At the end of athletics competition Japan's total was two medals and two top eight finishes, a total exceeding the JAAF's target one medal but falling short of its goal of five top eight finishes.  JAAF strengthening committee chairman Kazunori Asaba (55) announced that he intends to resign his position following the Rio Olympics.  Strengthening committee vice-chairman Katsumi Sakai (56) and director of men's marathoning Takeshi Soh (63) are also expected to join the exodus of resignations.  Japanese athletics will be forced to make a fresh start before the Tokyo Olympics.

http://www.nikkansports.com/olympic/rio2016/athletics/news/1679300.html

translated by Brett Larner

On July 15 JAAF Development Committee Chariman Kazunori Asaba announced that the JAAF's target for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics is "one medal and five top eight finishes."  The JAAF expects "at least one medal" from among the men's 4x100 m relay, 20 km race walk, 50 km race walk and women's marathon.  He cited the women's 10000 m and other events as possibilities for top eight placers.  In response to questions from reporters about why the goals were so modest Asaba answered uncomfortably, "Well, we're talking about the Olympics.  This is a realistic assessment."

Pole vault national record holder Daichi Sawano (Team Fujitsu) was named captain of the men's team, with javelin throw national record holder Yuki Ebihara (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) named women's captain.

http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2016052400852&g=spo

translated by Brett Larner

At a Tokyo-area press conference on May 24 the JAAF announced the selection criteria for the marathon teams for the August, 2017 London World Championships.  The new selection criteria represent a significant change from past policies in which athletes' positions on Olympic and World Championships teams have not been guaranteed until after the completion of the final selection race.  Under the new policy, an athlete who breaks the JAAF's pre-determined selection standard time and finishes as the top Japanese at one of the selection races will be guaranteed a place on the team.

The selection standards are 2:07:00 for men and 2:22:30 for women, times that correspond to a 7th-place world ranking in recent results.  Times run in domestic or international races will be counted during a period of time beginning in January this year.  Any athlete with the time standard who takes the top Japanese positi…

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160301-00000065-dal-spo

translated by Brett Larner

On Mar. 1, the organizers of the Nagoya Women's Marathon, the final selection race for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics team, announced general division entrant Kayoko Fukushi (33, Team Wacoal) has withdrawn from the race, saying, "This was the overall judgment after case studies done by team management."

Fukushi won January's Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2:22:17, clearing the JAAF's Olympic standard of 2:22:30.  Her position on the Rio team was virtually assured, but because the JAAF refused to confirm it she entered the final selection race in Nagoya.

An unheard-of unwilling entry of a top-level prospective Olympian into a race, subsequent events like JAAF Strengthening Chairman Kazunori Asaba's unusual statement, "We do not want her to run. We want to see her do rock-solid preparation for going after a medal," caused a swelling uproar in popular opinio…

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1607599.html

translated by Brett Larner

With regard to her entry in the final Rio de Janeiro Olympics women's marathon selection race, the Mar. 13 Nagoya Women's Marathon, on Feb. 21 JAAF Strengthening Committee Chairman Kazunori Asaba, 55, sent a message to Kayoko Fukushi (33, Team Wacoal): "We do not want you to run."

Fukushi won the second Rio selection race, January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, in 2:22:17, one of the fastest times ever run by a Japanese woman, but because the JAAF would not confirm her spot on the Rio team, the next day she indicated that she would run Nagoya as well.  Chairman Asaba seeks to persuade Fukushi that if she hopes to contend for an Olympic medal she should not run Nagoya, but at the same time refuses to change the JAAF's stance that it will not confirm that she is definitely on the Rio team.

Attending the 20 km racewalk national championships in Kobe, Chairman As…

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1546509.html

translated by Brett Larner

At a meeting of its board of directors Sept. 30 in Tokyo, the JAAF made the decision to establish a new Strengthening Promotion Committee.  The new committee will have authority over the existing Strengthening Committee.  JAAF executive director Mitsugi Ogata, 56, commented, "Up to now our strengthening activities have focused on producing the best performances at a particular time, but from now on we want to consider strategy through a variety of eyes and minds."

Citing the Japanese performance at August's Beijing World Championships, where the national team's total of one bronze medal and two top eight performances fell far short of JAAF projections, the board approved the resignation of Strengthening Committee chairman Yasuhiro Harada.  The promotion of vice-chairman Kazunori Asaba was also approved pending the outcome of committee restructuring.  Along with Toshihiko Seko, Na…