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Noguchi to Receive Over $500,000 Bonus for Successful Gold Medal Defense

http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/2008/01/14/0000800805.shtml
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20080115-OHT1T00078.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Having taken a big step toward the Beijing Olympics with her victory at last year's Tokyo International Women's Marathon, Mizuki Noguchi of Team Sysmex addressed the media at her Kyoto hotel a day after her stage best anchor run in the 26th Interprefectural Women's Ekiden. Speaking in front of a crowd of 300, Noguchi told the press, "If I am selected for the Olympic marathon team I will show the world that although I am small I can do it."

Noguchi received additional motivation to show the world what she can do when Sysmex president Hisashi Ietsugu announced that Sysmex will give her a significant financial bonus in the event of a successful defense of her gold medal. Referring to Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia who won gold medals in the men's marathon at the 1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Ietsugu said, "If she wins another gold she will be as great as Abebe. He is an historic figure and, while we can't pay her millions of dollars, if Noguchi also becomes such a legend we will reward her accordingly." Although Sysmex did not give the precise amount Noguchi will receive, Ietsugu indicated that it would be larger than the ￥50,000,000 bonus (app. $500,000) she received from former sponsor Globaly for her gold medal in the Athens Olympic marathon.

Noguchi is scheduled to leave on Jan. 20 for her high-altitude training camp in Kunming, China where she did much of her preparation for the Tokyo International Women's Marathon. Her coach Nobuyuki Fujita said that Noguchi will run two more races before Beijing.

Translator's note: Although not stated in these articles, it has been previously announced that one of Noguchi's two upcoming races will be a 30 km world record attempt at the Kumamoto Road Race on Feb. 24.
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