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Yoko Shibui Sets 5000 m and 10000 m Meet Records and Earns 5000 m Olympic B-Standard (updated)

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/top/sp200805/sp2008051808.html
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/olympic/2008/news/track/long/news/20080518-OYT1T00443.htm?from=nwla

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Translator`s note: I had previously posted the article about Shibui`s 10000 m performance but just came across the news of her impressive double in the next day`s 5000 m. Shibui is only the second Japanese woman to qualify for the 5000 m in Beijing, raising the possibility that she will double in the Olympics.

On the first day of the East Japan Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships, held May 17th and 18th at Kumagaya Sports Park`s Track and Field Grounds, women`s 10000 m national record holder Yoko Shibui (29, Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) ran a new meet record of 31:21.92 to break the Beijing Olympics A-standard (31:45.00) for the second time.

On the second day of the meet, Shibui ran 15:20.13 to set another meet record in the women`s 5000 m. Her time also met the Olympic B-standard (15:24.00). It was Shibui`s second straight and third-ever victory in the 5000 m at this meet and together with the 10000 m made for a successful double.

19 year old Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) set a meet record in the women`s 200 m with her winning time of 23.60, while Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) also set a men`s 200 m meet record of 20.62. 400 m national record holder Asami Tanno (Team Natureal) won by a margin of only 0.04 seconds. In the men`s 110 m hurdles, Yuji Ohashi (24, Team Mizuno) scored his first-ever victory at the East Japan meet by running 13.44 (adjusted for tailwind). Naoyuki Daigo won the men`s high jump for the fourth year in a row, clearing a height of 2 m 15 cm.

Translator`s note: Shibui is the national record holder in the 10000 m. Her previous 10000 m A-standard performance was three weeks ago at the Hyogo Relay Carnival. Her time in East Japan was 2.19 seconds slower than in Hyogo. In the men`s 10000 m, world-leaders Josephat Ndambiri and Gideon Ngatuny, who finished 1-2 in Hyogo, were again 1-2, this time in 27:38.13 and 27:39.27 respectively.

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