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2008 National Champions Team Toyota Jidoshokki Leave Chiba for Aichi

http://www.toyota-shokki.co.jp/news/2011/110323athletics/

translated by Brett Larner

The Toyota Jidoshokki Women's Track and Field Team hereby announces that effective April 1, 2011, it will relocate its training base to Kariya, Aichi. On March 23 the team registered its membership with the central Japan Chubu Corporate Track and Field Association.

As a company-sponsored team, the Toyota Jidoshokki team management wished to be closer to the parent company's headquarters and through sports to help make a positive contribution to the company's workers. The women's track and field team has been based in Sakura, Chiba since 2001, but by relocating to the company's headquarters in Kariya, Aichi they hope to help foster a stronger community feeling among the general workforce.

In addition, Shigeo Hasegawa, head coach of 2010 National High School Ekiden champions Kojokan H.S., will take over as Toyota Jidoshokki head coach. The team's athletes have left the Sakura Athlete Club which has guided them for the last ten years. Under Hasegawa's leadership Toyota Jidoshokki's runners will begin working out at the Toyota Jidoshokki headquarters training grounds in April and aim to arrive at a new level of strength as a team.

Translator's note: The Sakura Athlete Club in earthquake and tsunami-hit Chiba is led by Yoshio Koide, who coached Naoko Takahashi to Olympic gold and the world's first women's sub-2:20 marathon.
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