japan running news

by Brett Larner Amid concerns for athletes' safety in a city with strong resentment of Japanese denial of the Nanking Massacre , with delegation head Yosuke Fujiwara directing team members not to wear their uniforms outside the athletes' village and boos greeting the Japanese delegation during the opening ceremonies , Japan sends a team of only thirteen to compete in athletics at the second Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China. 4th in the girls' 3000 m at last month's World Junior Championships in Eugene, U.S.A., Nozomi Musembi Takamatsu (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) is the lone distance runner on the team, a sure medal contender after her 9:02.85 in Eugene.  Other prominent members include Hina Takahashi (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) in the girls' 800 m, Kenta Oshima (Tokyo H.S.) in the boys' 100 m, Sayori Matsumoto (Nara Ikuei H.S.) in the girls' 5000 m race walk and Yuji Hiramatsu (Shijoyo H.S.) in the boys' high jump, all national title winners at...

http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/youth-olympics/2014/1021818-japanese-athletes-told-not-to-wear-team-tracksuits-to-avoid-attack-at-nanjing-2014

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/081218/oth0812181933008-n1.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner On Dec. 17 the 2016 Tokyo Olympics bid committee gave a preliminary presentation on the proposed course for the Olympic marathon and other major events. The marathon would begin at the existing National Stadium, built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and end at the planned new Olympic Stadium in Tokyo's waterfront Toyosu district. In keeping with IAAF recommendations, the tentative course includes three loops of a 10 km circuit. A finalized proposal for the marathon route will be filed in February next year. Cycling events were originally planned to take place at Tokyo Dome, but the Olympic bid plan now calls for them to be held at the existing Oi Cycling Grounds which are closer to the intended Athletes' Village site. The bid committee also named Yosuke Fujiwara, who headed NHK's coverage of the Beijing Olympics, as head of the 2016 Tokyo Olympics' media center.