japan running news

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 Toshihik...

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201403/2014033100891&g=spo translated by Brett Larner At a Tokyo-area press conference on Mar. 31, JAAF Development Committee chairman Yasuhiro Harada  said that the Federation's target for this fall's Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea is ten gold medals.  At the last Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, Japan won four golds. According to Chairman Harada, last season Japan had Asia-leading marks in fourteen events including the men's and women's marathon and the men's javelin.  "Looking at our athletes' current situation ten golds is undoubtably attainable," he commented.  "The level of the Asian Games has been high recently.  Solid wins there will carry over to next year's World Championships and to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics."

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2012110100974 translated by Brett Larner On Nov. 1 Rikuren, the Japanese athletics federation, announced the names of the new members of its strengthening committee.  Taking over as head of men's middle distance, long distance and marathoning is Team Asahi Kasei head coach Takeshi Soh .  Team Tenmaya head coach Yutaka Taketomi  remains in place as head of the women's distance program. Koji Ito , holder of the Japanese men's 100 m national record of 10.00, was named the new head of men's sprinting, while former 400 mH national record holder and strengthening committee vice-chairman Kazuhiko Yamazaki will act as head of the committee's actualization division. In the lead-up to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics the strengthening committee will be organized into three main divisions, track and field, middle, long distance and road, and actualization.  Newly-named strengthening committee director Yasuhiro Harada  will a...