Skip to main content

Nittai University to Lose Hakone Ekiden Spot in Marijuana Scandal

http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20090416ddm041040069000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

In response to a marijuana scandal at a training facility in Yokohama involving a now-expelled pole vaulter on Nittai University's track and field team, the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association headed by Yoshiyuki Aoba informed Nittai on Apr. 15 that the school's long distance ekiden squad will lose its seeded position in next year's Hakone Ekiden. Additionally, Nittai's entire track and field team must suspend all activity for the next three months. Nittai University officials accepted the decision. An official with the Kanto Association commented, "I've never heard of a school being stripped of its Hakone seed like this before."

Nittai University had already placed the 46 members of its track and field team's pole vault and jump squad on indefinite suspension as of Mar. 26 and afterwards suspended the rest of the track and field team through the end of April. The school also elected to dismantle some of its pole vault and jump training facilities. Nittai's ekiden team has won the Hakone Ekiden nine times, including a remarkable five-year streak in the late 60's and early 70's. It finished 3rd at this year's Hakone to earn a seeded position for next year's championship, but after being stripped of its seed the team must try to requalify at October's Yosenkai 20 km Road Race.

Translator's note: It is worth noting again that the pole vaulter in question was neither arrested nor charged by police as they found no evidence to charge him with criminal activities. The new three-month suspension period includes the entire spring track season, the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Championships, the qualifying race for the National University Ekiden Championships, and the National Track and Field Championships. The school's monthly Nittai Time Trials series, the key spring track series in the Tokyo region and nationwide for professional, university, high school and serious amateur runners alike, has also been suspended. See these articles for additional background on this unfortunate case:

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/nittai-univ-track-and-field-team-under.html

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/nittai-university-marijuana.html

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/nittai-university-coaching-staff-resign.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IayHnA0cGuc
Labels:

Comments

Dusty said…
I had no idea that Japan was so strict about marijuana. It's odd considering the cultural acceptance of drinking and the fact that these are healthy, seemingly well-adjusted student athletes.

Whoops, I just noticed the article tags. Love it, particularly "hysteria!"
April 16, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

10000 m National Championships Preview

  Less than five months since the 2023 10000 m National Championships went down at the 2021 Olympic stadium in Tokyo, the 2024 edition happens Friday at Shizuoka's Ecopa Stadium, with NHK broadcasting it live starting at 19:25 local time. Doubling up on Nationals like this lets Japanese athletes double dip on placing points to try to get into the Paris Olympics on rankings. But between the number of people who've hit the 30:40.00 women's standard and 27:00.00 men's standard and the lopsided eight spots given away to top placers at World XC, there are only four women's spots and three men's available via rankings. Of those, three of the four women's spots and two of the three men's spots are currently occupied by top placers at December's 2023 Nationals, Ririka Hironaka , Haruka Kokai and Rino Goshima for women and Ren Tazawa and Tomoki Ota for men. The 2023 Nationals did get close to the standards, with Hironaka leading the top four women under
3 comments
Read more

Chesang and Kipkoech Win Hot Gifu Half

Hot conditions held back fast times at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon Sunday, where Ugandan Stella Chesang and Kenya Hillary Kipkoech took the top spots over last year's winners Dolphine Nyaboke Omare and Amos Kurgat . In the women's race Chesang, Omare and Kenyan-born Bahraini Eunice Chebichii Chumba went out as a trio, Japan-based Hellen Ekarare with them initially but eventually dropping out. After a 15:39 opening 5 km Chumba started to slip off, and by 15 km Chesang was on her own. Chesang won in 1:07:59, solid given the conditions, with Omare 2nd in 1:08:31 and Chumba 3rd in 1:09:10. Rinka Hida was the first Japanese woman, 5th overall in 1:12:06 behind Australian Genevieve Gregson . A lead men's pack of 11 went through 5 km in 14:31, but by 10 km it was down to Kipkoech, Kurgat, , Timothy Kiplagat , Ugandan Stephen Kissa and Japan-based Kenyans Patrick Mathenge Wambui and Anthony Maina . At 15 km in 43:40 only Kurgat and Kipkoech were left, and over the last 5
1 comment
Read more

Drury and Mashiko Lead Four Japanese Golds - U20 Asian Championships Day 4

The closing day of the Dubai U20 Asian Athletics Championships saw Japan go out big, with four gold medals led by dominant runs by Sherry Drury (Tsuyama H.S.) and Yota Mashiko (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.). Making her international debut, the 16-year-old Drury led start to finish in the women's 1500 m final, grinding down the rest of the field and putting over 4 seconds on runner-up Sandilea Vinod of India over the last 300 m to win in 4:21.41. Drury's splits: 1:11-2:24-(3:19)-3:35-4:21. There's still a long way for Drury to go, but in terms of form and confidence this was the best she has looked since her legendary breakthrough CR at last year's National Women's Ekiden, and you could see more than a glimmer of what everyone is hoping is really there. Mashiko was even more dominant in the men's 3000 m. Coming out on the front end of some pushing and shoving in the first 50 m, Mashiko led the entire way. By 300 m he had a measurable gap that never got smaller, and af
1 comment
Read more