Skip to main content

Japanese Olympic Distance Running Preview - Men`s 3000m Steeplechase

by Brett Larner

Men`s 3000 m SC

Yoshitaka Iwamizu
Born: June 20, 1979, Aichi Prefecture
Team Affiliation: Fujitsu
Olympic Event PB: 8:18.93, 2003 – NR
Season Highlights:
-6th place, Memorial Leon Buyle 3000m: 7:55.90, 7/26/08
-12th place, DN Galan 3000m SC: 8:34.05, 7/22/08
-National Champion, 3000m SC: 8:29.75, 6/29/08
-Top Japanese finisher, World XC Championships, 4/5/08
Career Highlights:
-NR, 3000m SC: 8:18.93, 2003
-Asian Champion, 3000m SC, 2005
-National Champion, 3000m SC, 2001-2005, 2007-2008
-Athens Olympics, 3000m SC, 2004
-World T&F Championships, 3000m SC, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
-World XC Championships, 2004, 2006, 2008

Like Minori Hayakari in the women`s steeplechase, Yoshitaka Iwamizu is the undisputed master of the Japanese men`s 3000m SC world. The national record holder and former Asian champion, Iwamizu has competed in the last four World Championships, the Athens Olympics, and has won the National Championships every year but one since 2001. Although he won the National Championships again this past June his times this season have been far from his record and significantly slower than last year. As a result Iwamizu is very unlikely to be a competitive factor in Beijing.

© 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
photo from Rikuren archive
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...
3 comments
Read more

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Training for 1:00:44

Hi, I'm Ayumu Kobayashi . Today I'm going to write about this year's National Corporate Half Marathon and the training I did for it. I hope other runners will find it even a little bit helpful. At the Corporate Half on Feb. 13 I was 10th in 1:00:44. My goal had been to run 61 minutes, so I hit that target. My Training Menu In January I ran a total of 681 km. Key workouts: Jan. 11: 1000 m x 5 at 2:50/km Jan. 12: 22.5 km Jan. 15: 9 km variable pace Jan. 17: 25 km Jan. 24: 1000 m x 8 at 2:52/km Jan. 27: 1 km + 4 km + 2 km Jan. 30: 16 km at 3:18/km avg. In January I was tired from the New Year Ekiden and had some knee pain after it, so I just jogged for 10 days until I started doing workouts again on the 11th. That's why I only ran 681 km for the month. But even on the jog days I was aware that I had the Corporate Half coming up, so I was doing around 30 km. It's pretty meat and potatoes, but I think it was really important. February (training for the 10 days before...
2 comments
Read more