by Brett Larner
Day Two of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials was bracketed by two classic performances, one an Olympic-qualifying national record and the other an unforgettable duel between a World Championships medalist and the best of the next generation. Five athletes altogether met the Federation's requirement of a win and an Olympic A-standard mark to secure their places on the London team, while another half-dozen stand a good chance of joining them.
The national record came without warning in the women's pole vault, where Tomomi Abiko (Shiga Lake Stars AC) executed a large PB to unexpectedly clear 4.40 m, a new NR by 4 cm and the first-ever Japanese woman's mark hitting the Olympic B-standard. Abiko was short of the A-standard mark, but with no other Japanese woman qualified for the Olympics in the pole vault it is hard to see her staying home. Less certain is the fate of women's 100 mH champion Ayako Kimura (Team Edion), who like Abiko only holds a B-standard time but without the cachet of a national record to back it up.
Defending men's 100 m national champion Masashi Eriguchi (Team Osaka Gas), women's 100 m national champion Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) and 400 m national champion Yuzo Kanemaru (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) all took matter-of-fact wins, each well off the Olympic A-standard but guaranteed a place thanks to earlier marks. Men's 400 mH favorite Takayuki Kishimoto (Hosei Univ.) came through with an A-standard PB of 48.41 to pick up his place, but more noteworthy were the A-standard PBs by Akihiro Nakamura (Chukyo Univ.) and Tetsuya Tateno (Chuo Univ.) in 2nd and 3rd. With the top three placers all running A-standard PB times it is quite likely that the 400 mH will be one of the few events outside the marathon to feature a complete three-athlete Japanese squad in London.
Defending men's 10000 m national champion Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) through a wrench into the works of the Olympic selection procedure, winning a tense and turbulent, if considerably slower than was needed, 10000 m. Only a B-standard holder despite the fastest PB in the field, Sato took down all three A-standard men for the win, barely holding off his fellow Saku Chosei H.S. grad and B-standard holder Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) for the win in 28:18.15. A-standard favorites Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) and Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) lost touch with Sato and Osako over the last 1000 m and finished 3rd and 4th a few seconds back, meaning that their Olympic hopes are all but through in light of Sato's presumptive selection. The third A-standard man, newly-pro Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Team Asahi Kasei), was a distant 20th in 29:08.00, confirming that he is far from recovered from mid-winter injury problems.
The competition of the day, however, came in the men's javelin, where the hoped-for duel between suddenly-maturing junior NR holder Genki Dean (Waseda Univ.) and Berlin World Championships bronze medalist Yukifumi Murakami (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) delivered. Early on Murakami threw long to break the meet record of 82.75 m, then broke the record again with a PB 83.95 m. Dean struggled through the early rounds but following Murakami's second record brought himself into focus with a meet record of his own, 84.03 m to take the win and his Olympic position. Murakami will no doubt be joining him for another round in their growing and engrossing rivalry but must wait until Monday for the final word from the powers that be.
The 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials wrap up June 10. Check back for video updates and JRN's exclusive English-language coverage.
2012 Japanese Olympic Trials - 96th National Track & Field Championships
Day Two Results
Nagai Stadium, Osaka, 6/9/12
click here for complete results
Athletes in bold have qualified for the London Olympics team.
Athletes in italics have provisionally qualified pending confirmation on Monday.
click event header for complete video
Men's 10000 m
1. Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 28:18.15
2. Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) - 28:18.53
3. Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) - 28:20.76
4. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) - 28:23.01
5. Shinobu Kubota (Komazawa Univ.) - 28:29.45
6. Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:30.36
7. Yuki Matsuoka (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 28:31.50
8. Hisanori Kitajima (Team Yasukawa Denki) - 28:31.97
9. Masato Kihara (Team Kanebo) - 28:32.54
10. Akinobu Murasawa (Tokai Univ.) - 28:32.78
-----
20. Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Team Asahi Kasei) - 29:08.00
23. Ryo Yamamoto (Team Sagawa Express) - 29:16.55
Men's 1500 m Heats Final qualifiers
Hiroshi Ino (Team Fujitsu) - 3.45.81
Toshiki Imazaki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 3:46.10
Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) - 3:46.33
Yasuhiro Tago (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 3:46.47
Shota Shinjo (Chuo Univ.) - 3:46.49
Yusuke Uchikoshi (Kugayama Kokugain Prep H.S.) - 3:46.74 - PB
Masaki Sekido (Team NTT Nishi Nihon) - 3:46.76 - PB
Keisuke Tanaka (Team Fujitsu) - 3:52.33
Masahiro Takaya (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 3:52.68
Tasuku Arai (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 3:52.68
Takahiko Onishi (Team NTN) - 3:53.01
Toshihiro Kenmotsu (Kantei Heiyo Univ.) - 3:53.13
Women's 800 m Heats Final qualifiers
Manami Mashita (Tsukuba Univ.) - 2:06.67
Ruriko Kubo (Team Edion) - 2:06.71
Ayaka Yoshizawa (Odawara T&F Assoc.) - 2:06.97
Akari Kishikawa (Hasegawa AC) - 2:07.30
Akiho Fukuzato (Kawawa H.S.) - 2:07.41
Yukina Tanimoto (Tsukuba Univ.) - 2:07.56 - PB
Chihiro Sunaga (Team Shiseido) - 2:08.08
Miho Tanaka (Nishimiya Pref. H.S.) - 2:09.02
Men's 800 m Heats Final qualifiers
Shohei Oka (Juntendo Univ.) - 1:50.11
Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu) - 1:50.20
Yasuhiro Makino (Yutic AC) - 1:50.28
Yasuhiro Nakamura (Tsukuba Univ.) - 1:50.59
Alexander Kuga (Gifu Keizai Univ.) - 1.50.72 - PB
Taiki Tsutsumi (SDF Academy) - 1:50.78
Takeshi Noguchi (Team Fujitsu) - 1:51.41
Toshiki Imazaki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 1:51.47
Women's 400 m
1. Mayu Sato (Team Toho Ginko) - 53.86
2. Miho Shingu (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 54.12
3. Megumi Kageyama (Waseda Univ.) - 54.27
Men's 400 m
1. Yuzo Kanemaru (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 46.18
2. Hiroyuki Nakano (Aichi Kyoiku Univ.) - 46.23
3. Yoshihiro Azuma (Kansai Univ.) - 46.26 - PB
Women's 200 m Heats Final qualifiers
Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 23.43
Kana Ichikawa (Chukyo Univ.) - 23.51 - PB
Saori Imai (Shigakkan Univ.) - 24.00
Momoko Takahashi (Team Fujitsu) - 24.02
Maki Wada (Mizuno) - 24.02
Rio Banno (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 24.05
Nao Okabe (Mizuno) - 24.07
Akane Kimura (Osaka Seikei Univ.) - 24.33
Men's 200 m Heats Final qualifiers
Hitoshi Saito (Sunmesse AC) - 20.62
Kenji Fujimitsu (Zenrin AC) - 20.63
Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) - 20.66
Kei Takase (Team Fujitsu) - 20.67
Shota Iizuka (Chuo Univ.) - 20.80
Shintaro Horie (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 20.81 - PB
Kazuya Tajima (Tokai Univ.) - 20.87 - PB
Mitsuhiro Abiko (Mizuno) - 20.90
Hirofumi Yagai (Chukyo Univ.) - 20.90
Women's 100 m
1. Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 11.45
2. Anna Doi (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 11.51
3. Momoko Takahashi (Team Fujitsu) - 11.66
Men's 100 m
1. Masashi Eriguchi (Team Osaka Gas) - 10.29
2. Takumi Kuki (Waseda Univ.) - 10.30
3. Ryota Yamagata (Keio Univ.) - 10.34
Women's 400 mH Semifinal Final qualifiers
Tomomi Yoneda (Chuo Univ.) - 56.21 - PB
Satomi Kubokura (Niigata Albirex AC) - 56.69
Sayaka Aoki (Team Toho Ginko) - 57.02
Miyabi Tago (J.Vic AC) - 57.16
Shiori Miki (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 57.41
Haruka Shibata (Ryukoku Univ.) - 57.71 - PB
Manami Kira (Chuo Univ.) - 57.73
Eri Matsuda (Tsukuba Univ.) - 58.30 - PB
Men's 400 mH
1. Takayuki Kishimoto (Hosei Univ.) - 48.41 - PB
2. Akihiro Nakamura (Chukyo Univ.) - 49.38 - PB
3. Tetsuya Tateno (Chuo Univ.) - 49.49 - PB
Men's 110 mH Heats Semifinal qualifiers
Tasuku Tanonaka (Team Fujitsu) - 13.73
Hiroyuki Sato (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 13.78
Kenji Yahata (Monteroza AC) - 13.80
Yuto Aoki (Messias AC) - 13.86
Yutaro Furukawa (Team Kojima Press) - 13.88
Masanori Nishizawa (Tottori Pref. Kyoiku Univ.) - 13.88
Yuichi Iwafune (Sunmesse AC) - 13.90
Kyohei Mita (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 13.92
Masayuki Iida (Mizuno) - 13.93
Wataru Yazawa (Hosei Univ.) - 13.94
Kyohei Hayakawa (Waseda Univ.) - 13.98
Tatsuya Wada (Chukyo Univ.) - 13.98
Takayuki Shuto (Tochigi T&F Assoc.) - 14.00
Hironori Murao (Yutic AC) - 14.04
Yuji Ohashi (Mizuno) - 14.04
Yuta Kawauchi (Team Aima) - 14.06
Hideki Nomoto (Patech Supply AC) - 14.06
Women's 100 mH
1. Ayako Kimura (Team Edion) - 13.25
2. Fumiko Kumagai (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 13.45
3. Hitomi Shimura (Waseda Univ.) - 13.55
Women's Pole Vault
1. Tomomi Abiko (Shiga Lake Stars AC) - 4.40 m - NR, MR
2. Tomoko Sumiishi (Shin Nihon Steel AC) - 4.10 m - PB
3. Ayako Aoshima (Nittai Univ.) - 4.00 m
Men's Long Jump
1. Daisuke Arakawa (Noby AC) - 7.78 m
2. Yohei Sugai (Mizuno) - 7.76 m
3. Mamoru Niimura (Niigata Albirex AC) - 7.75 m
Women's Discus
1. Yukiko Shirai (Shiga T&F Assoc.) - 15.41 m
2. Chiaki Yokomizo (Saitama T&F Assoc.) - 14.84 m
3. Chihiro Shigeyama (Kokushikan Univ.) - 14.75 m
Men's Discus
1. Yuji Tsutsumi (Kokushikan Univ.) - 56.19 m - PB
2. Shigeo Hatakeyama (Zeirin AC) - 54.21 m
3. Masaru Miyauchi (Monteroza AC) - 53.46 m
Men's Javelin Throw
1. Genki Dean (Waseda Univ.) - 84.03 m - MR
2. Yukifumi Murakami (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 83.95 m - PB (MR)
3. Ryohei Arai (Kokushikan Univ.) - 76.97 m
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Day Two of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials was bracketed by two classic performances, one an Olympic-qualifying national record and the other an unforgettable duel between a World Championships medalist and the best of the next generation. Five athletes altogether met the Federation's requirement of a win and an Olympic A-standard mark to secure their places on the London team, while another half-dozen stand a good chance of joining them.The national record came without warning in the women's pole vault, where Tomomi Abiko (Shiga Lake Stars AC) executed a large PB to unexpectedly clear 4.40 m, a new NR by 4 cm and the first-ever Japanese woman's mark hitting the Olympic B-standard. Abiko was short of the A-standard mark, but with no other Japanese woman qualified for the Olympics in the pole vault it is hard to see her staying home. Less certain is the fate of women's 100 mH champion Ayako Kimura (Team Edion), who like Abiko only holds a B-standard time but without the cachet of a national record to back it up.
Defending men's 100 m national champion Masashi Eriguchi (Team Osaka Gas), women's 100 m national champion Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) and 400 m national champion Yuzo Kanemaru (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) all took matter-of-fact wins, each well off the Olympic A-standard but guaranteed a place thanks to earlier marks. Men's 400 mH favorite Takayuki Kishimoto (Hosei Univ.) came through with an A-standard PB of 48.41 to pick up his place, but more noteworthy were the A-standard PBs by Akihiro Nakamura (Chukyo Univ.) and Tetsuya Tateno (Chuo Univ.) in 2nd and 3rd. With the top three placers all running A-standard PB times it is quite likely that the 400 mH will be one of the few events outside the marathon to feature a complete three-athlete Japanese squad in London.
Defending men's 10000 m national champion Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) through a wrench into the works of the Olympic selection procedure, winning a tense and turbulent, if considerably slower than was needed, 10000 m. Only a B-standard holder despite the fastest PB in the field, Sato took down all three A-standard men for the win, barely holding off his fellow Saku Chosei H.S. grad and B-standard holder Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) for the win in 28:18.15. A-standard favorites Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) and Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) lost touch with Sato and Osako over the last 1000 m and finished 3rd and 4th a few seconds back, meaning that their Olympic hopes are all but through in light of Sato's presumptive selection. The third A-standard man, newly-pro Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Team Asahi Kasei), was a distant 20th in 29:08.00, confirming that he is far from recovered from mid-winter injury problems.
The competition of the day, however, came in the men's javelin, where the hoped-for duel between suddenly-maturing junior NR holder Genki Dean (Waseda Univ.) and Berlin World Championships bronze medalist Yukifumi Murakami (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) delivered. Early on Murakami threw long to break the meet record of 82.75 m, then broke the record again with a PB 83.95 m. Dean struggled through the early rounds but following Murakami's second record brought himself into focus with a meet record of his own, 84.03 m to take the win and his Olympic position. Murakami will no doubt be joining him for another round in their growing and engrossing rivalry but must wait until Monday for the final word from the powers that be.
The 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials wrap up June 10. Check back for video updates and JRN's exclusive English-language coverage.
2012 Japanese Olympic Trials - 96th National Track & Field Championships
Day Two Results
Nagai Stadium, Osaka, 6/9/12
click here for complete results
Athletes in bold have qualified for the London Olympics team.
Athletes in italics have provisionally qualified pending confirmation on Monday.
click event header for complete video
Men's 10000 m
1. Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 28:18.15
2. Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) - 28:18.53
3. Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) - 28:20.76
4. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) - 28:23.01
5. Shinobu Kubota (Komazawa Univ.) - 28:29.45
6. Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:30.36
7. Yuki Matsuoka (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 28:31.50
8. Hisanori Kitajima (Team Yasukawa Denki) - 28:31.97
9. Masato Kihara (Team Kanebo) - 28:32.54
10. Akinobu Murasawa (Tokai Univ.) - 28:32.78
-----
20. Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Team Asahi Kasei) - 29:08.00
23. Ryo Yamamoto (Team Sagawa Express) - 29:16.55
Men's 1500 m Heats Final qualifiers
Hiroshi Ino (Team Fujitsu) - 3.45.81
Toshiki Imazaki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 3:46.10
Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) - 3:46.33
Yasuhiro Tago (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 3:46.47
Shota Shinjo (Chuo Univ.) - 3:46.49
Yusuke Uchikoshi (Kugayama Kokugain Prep H.S.) - 3:46.74 - PB
Masaki Sekido (Team NTT Nishi Nihon) - 3:46.76 - PB
Keisuke Tanaka (Team Fujitsu) - 3:52.33
Masahiro Takaya (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 3:52.68
Tasuku Arai (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 3:52.68
Takahiko Onishi (Team NTN) - 3:53.01
Toshihiro Kenmotsu (Kantei Heiyo Univ.) - 3:53.13
Women's 800 m Heats Final qualifiers
Manami Mashita (Tsukuba Univ.) - 2:06.67
Ruriko Kubo (Team Edion) - 2:06.71
Ayaka Yoshizawa (Odawara T&F Assoc.) - 2:06.97
Akari Kishikawa (Hasegawa AC) - 2:07.30
Akiho Fukuzato (Kawawa H.S.) - 2:07.41
Yukina Tanimoto (Tsukuba Univ.) - 2:07.56 - PB
Chihiro Sunaga (Team Shiseido) - 2:08.08
Miho Tanaka (Nishimiya Pref. H.S.) - 2:09.02
Men's 800 m Heats Final qualifiers
Shohei Oka (Juntendo Univ.) - 1:50.11
Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu) - 1:50.20
Yasuhiro Makino (Yutic AC) - 1:50.28
Yasuhiro Nakamura (Tsukuba Univ.) - 1:50.59
Alexander Kuga (Gifu Keizai Univ.) - 1.50.72 - PB
Taiki Tsutsumi (SDF Academy) - 1:50.78
Takeshi Noguchi (Team Fujitsu) - 1:51.41
Toshiki Imazaki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 1:51.47
Women's 400 m
1. Mayu Sato (Team Toho Ginko) - 53.86
2. Miho Shingu (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 54.12
3. Megumi Kageyama (Waseda Univ.) - 54.27
Men's 400 m
1. Yuzo Kanemaru (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 46.18
2. Hiroyuki Nakano (Aichi Kyoiku Univ.) - 46.23
3. Yoshihiro Azuma (Kansai Univ.) - 46.26 - PB
Women's 200 m Heats Final qualifiers
Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 23.43
Kana Ichikawa (Chukyo Univ.) - 23.51 - PB
Saori Imai (Shigakkan Univ.) - 24.00
Momoko Takahashi (Team Fujitsu) - 24.02
Maki Wada (Mizuno) - 24.02
Rio Banno (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 24.05
Nao Okabe (Mizuno) - 24.07
Akane Kimura (Osaka Seikei Univ.) - 24.33
Men's 200 m Heats Final qualifiers
Hitoshi Saito (Sunmesse AC) - 20.62
Kenji Fujimitsu (Zenrin AC) - 20.63
Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) - 20.66
Kei Takase (Team Fujitsu) - 20.67
Shota Iizuka (Chuo Univ.) - 20.80
Shintaro Horie (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 20.81 - PB
Kazuya Tajima (Tokai Univ.) - 20.87 - PB
Mitsuhiro Abiko (Mizuno) - 20.90
Hirofumi Yagai (Chukyo Univ.) - 20.90
Women's 100 m
1. Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 11.45
2. Anna Doi (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 11.51
3. Momoko Takahashi (Team Fujitsu) - 11.66
Men's 100 m
1. Masashi Eriguchi (Team Osaka Gas) - 10.29
2. Takumi Kuki (Waseda Univ.) - 10.30
3. Ryota Yamagata (Keio Univ.) - 10.34
Women's 400 mH Semifinal Final qualifiers
Tomomi Yoneda (Chuo Univ.) - 56.21 - PB
Satomi Kubokura (Niigata Albirex AC) - 56.69
Sayaka Aoki (Team Toho Ginko) - 57.02
Miyabi Tago (J.Vic AC) - 57.16
Shiori Miki (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 57.41
Haruka Shibata (Ryukoku Univ.) - 57.71 - PB
Manami Kira (Chuo Univ.) - 57.73
Eri Matsuda (Tsukuba Univ.) - 58.30 - PB
Men's 400 mH
1. Takayuki Kishimoto (Hosei Univ.) - 48.41 - PB
2. Akihiro Nakamura (Chukyo Univ.) - 49.38 - PB
3. Tetsuya Tateno (Chuo Univ.) - 49.49 - PB
Men's 110 mH Heats Semifinal qualifiers
Tasuku Tanonaka (Team Fujitsu) - 13.73
Hiroyuki Sato (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 13.78
Kenji Yahata (Monteroza AC) - 13.80
Yuto Aoki (Messias AC) - 13.86
Yutaro Furukawa (Team Kojima Press) - 13.88
Masanori Nishizawa (Tottori Pref. Kyoiku Univ.) - 13.88
Yuichi Iwafune (Sunmesse AC) - 13.90
Kyohei Mita (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 13.92
Masayuki Iida (Mizuno) - 13.93
Wataru Yazawa (Hosei Univ.) - 13.94
Kyohei Hayakawa (Waseda Univ.) - 13.98
Tatsuya Wada (Chukyo Univ.) - 13.98
Takayuki Shuto (Tochigi T&F Assoc.) - 14.00
Hironori Murao (Yutic AC) - 14.04
Yuji Ohashi (Mizuno) - 14.04
Yuta Kawauchi (Team Aima) - 14.06
Hideki Nomoto (Patech Supply AC) - 14.06
Women's 100 mH
1. Ayako Kimura (Team Edion) - 13.25
2. Fumiko Kumagai (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 13.45
3. Hitomi Shimura (Waseda Univ.) - 13.55
Women's Pole Vault
1. Tomomi Abiko (Shiga Lake Stars AC) - 4.40 m - NR, MR
2. Tomoko Sumiishi (Shin Nihon Steel AC) - 4.10 m - PB
3. Ayako Aoshima (Nittai Univ.) - 4.00 m
Men's Long Jump
1. Daisuke Arakawa (Noby AC) - 7.78 m
2. Yohei Sugai (Mizuno) - 7.76 m
3. Mamoru Niimura (Niigata Albirex AC) - 7.75 m
Women's Discus
1. Yukiko Shirai (Shiga T&F Assoc.) - 15.41 m
2. Chiaki Yokomizo (Saitama T&F Assoc.) - 14.84 m
3. Chihiro Shigeyama (Kokushikan Univ.) - 14.75 m
Men's Discus
1. Yuji Tsutsumi (Kokushikan Univ.) - 56.19 m - PB
2. Shigeo Hatakeyama (Zeirin AC) - 54.21 m
3. Masaru Miyauchi (Monteroza AC) - 53.46 m
Men's Javelin Throw
1. Genki Dean (Waseda Univ.) - 84.03 m - MR
2. Yukifumi Murakami (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 83.95 m - PB (MR)
3. Ryohei Arai (Kokushikan Univ.) - 76.97 m
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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