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Noguchi Out of Osaka With Injury to Left Thigh (updated)

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/120125/oth12012515000009-n1.htm
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20120125-894574.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

The organizers of the 31st Osaka International Women's Marathon and the Sysmex Women's Distance Running Team announced on Jan. 25 that invited athlete Mizuki Noguchi, 33, has pulled out of this Sunday's London Olympics selection race edition of Osaka with inflammation in the back of her left thigh.

Noguchi has been training at 1600 m altitude in Boulder, Colorado since Dec. 24.  She returned to Japan on Jan. 19, saying, "I did almost 100% of what was on the training menu.  I'm ready to drop a big one."

Noguchi, the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon gold medalist, was forced to pull out of defending her title at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after an injury to her left hip joint.  Since then she has suffered serial injuries but has persevered in trying to return to competition through her intense mental toughness.  Her last marathon was the Nov., 2007 Tokyo International Women's Marathon, one of the selection races for the Beijing Olympics.  Her planned return to the distance in Osaka after four years and two months had attracted enormous attention.

Update (from Nikkan article 1 hr 41 min after Sankei article): According to a source involved in the situation, Noguchi intends to shift her plans to try to make the London team by running the final Olympic selection race, the Mar. 11 Nagoya Women's Marathon.
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Comments

Brett Larner said…
I don't even know what to say. I'm so sad for her.
January 25, 2012 at 4:52 PM
Samurai Running said…
Yeah it is tough! Damn hard to reach the line in without injury in this game! I was ready to give her a big shout out on Sunday when I saw her shouting "Let's go to London!"

Never know she may indeed pull out a great run in Nagoya! We all hope she does but yes the pressure is on but Olympic champions eat pressure for breakfast!
January 25, 2012 at 5:53 PM
Marcos said…
Esto ya parece una verdadera maldición para Noguchi , esperaba ver el duelo con Fukushi este domingo en la madrugada , ahora Fukushi tiene muchas más opciones de calificar a London , Brett puede por favor dar el link y el canal de tv , para poder ver la transmisión en vivo desde fuera de Japan , MUCHAS GRACIAS.
January 25, 2012 at 9:29 PM
Brett Larner said…
Yes, it's really a shame. I'll include TV broadcast details in my preview once I finish re-writing it.
January 25, 2012 at 10:18 PM
yuza said…
I am starting to wonder if maybe it is more mental now with Noguchi than physical...I don't know I just hope she gets fit again and runs a fast marathon. It must be so frustrating for her.

I am genuinely quite shocked by this news.

I am not sure Noguchi pulling out is a good or a bad thing for Fukushi.
January 26, 2012 at 12:11 AM
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