Ebihara Gets Javelin NR, 200 m Jr. World Champ Iizuka Hits A-Standard - Japanese Olympic Trials Day Three
by Brett Larner
As with the great showdown between Genki Dean (Waseda Univ.) and Yukifumi Murakami (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) yesterday, the biggest show on the final day of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials came in the javelin. Murakami's teammate Yuki Ebihara (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) unexpectedly came up with a big throw in the middle of the women's javelin competition, adding 80 cm on to her own national record to score a new NR of 62.36 m. An A-standard mark, Ebihara led the day's haul of people meeting the Federation's standards for an assured London Olympic position.
In the men's 200 m Kei Takase (Team Fujitsu) likewise earned himself an Olympic spot, running an A-standard PB of 20.42 to take the win. For a moment it looked as though 2012 Jr. World Champion Shota Iizuka (Chuo Univ.) might take the win, but Takase succeeded in easing past into 1st. Iizuka took 2nd in a large PB of 20.45 and should find himself in London. Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) was 3rd, over the A-standard in 20.56 behind his younger rivals, but with an A-standard 20.49 behind him earlier this season he should round out a full complement.
Hitomi Niiya (Team Univ. Ent.), runner-up in last year's Nationals women's 5000 m, was another to join the London team. Known for frontrunning and pushing the pace, Niiya unexpectedly sat back through a slow 3:06 first km and was one of only two to follow the move of national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) at the start of the next km. 10000 m national champion Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) showed signs of fatigue and swiftly fell away, but Niiya put the pressure on Fukushi and went by as the pair entered the second half of the race. Fukushi likewise looked tired from the 10000 m, and when Niiya surged to keep the pace on sub-A-standard track she found herself pulling away from the NR holder. Niiya, who did not run the 10000 m despite holding the A-standard, took the win in 15:17.92 to join the London fold, with Fukushi 2nd in 15:25.74. Second in both the 5 and 10 with A-standard marks at both distances on the books, Fukushi is a virtual certainty for the Olympic team but must wait for the official team announcement on Monday.
Yoshikawa faded to 5th in 15:37.67, run down by little-known Misaki Onishi (Team Sekisui Kagaku) who came up with a PB of 15:32.89 for 3rd, and 1500 m NR holder Yuriko Kobayashi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki). Despite the relatively poor showing, she is already on the team in the 10000 m and, holding a 5000 m A-standard, could take the third 5000 m spot along with Niiya and Fukushi. Alternatively, last year's 5000 m national champion Megumi Kinukawa (Mizuno), who holds the fastest 5000 m A-standard time among the Japanese women and the 2nd-fastest 10000 m time and who finished 3rd in the 10000 m, could be named to the 5000 m despite not running it this year. As still another alternatively, Niiya could be put in the 10000 m over Kinukawa even though she sat it out on Friday. Although all four could reasonably be on the Olympic team, Yoshikawa, Fukushi, Kinukawa and Niiya will have to wait until Monday to find out their fates.
Three other athletes, men's 800 m NR holder Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu), women's 200 m NR holder Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) and women's 400 mH NR holder Satomi Kubokura (Niigata Albirex AC), won their events nd have clocked B-standard times within the London qualifying period. They are likely to swell the ranks of Japan's Olympic team once the Federation announces the final team roster Monday afternoon.
2012 Japanese Olympic Trials - 96th National T&F Championships
Day Three Results
Nagai Stadium, Osaka, 6/10/12
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 headers for complete video.
Women's 5000 m
1. Hitomi Niiya (Team Univ. Ent.) - 15:17.92
2. Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) - 15:25.74
3. Misaki Onishi (Team Sekisui Kagaku) - 15:32.89 - PB
4. Yuriko Kobayashi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:33.21
5. Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) - 15:37.67
6. Misaki Katsumata (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 15:38.39
7. Ryoko Kizaki (Team Daihatsu) - 15:38.88
8. Risa Takenaka (Team Shiseido) - 15:41.36
9. Grace Kimanzi (Kenya/Team Starts) - 15:48.47
10. Ayuko Suzuki (Nagoya Univ.) - 15:50.16
Women's 1500 m Final
1. Ayako Jinnouchi (Team Kyudenko) - 4:16.42
2. Chikako Mori (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 4:18.53 - PB
3. Satoe Kikuchi (Matsuyama Univ.) - 4:19.04 - PB
Men's 1500 m Final
1. Keisuke Tanaka (Team Fujitsu) - 3:45.49
2. Hiroshi Ino (Team Fujitsu) - 3:45.84
3. Tasuku Arai (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 3:46.03 - PB
Women's 800 m Final
1. Ruriko Kubo (Team Edion) - 2:04.18
2. Manami Mashita (Tsukuba Univ.) - 2:04.78
3. Chihiro Sunaga (Team Shiseido) - 2:04.86 - PB
Men's 800 m Final
1. Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu) - 1:48.12
2. Takeshi Kuchino (Team Fujitsu) - 1:48.36
3. Shohei Oka (Juntendo Univ.) - 1:48.51
Women's 200 m Final
1. Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 23.35
2. Kana Ichikawa (Chuo Univ.) - 23.62 - PB
3. Momoko Takahashi (Team Fujitsu) - 23.74
Men's 200 m Final
1. Kei Takase (Team Fujitsu) - 20.42 - PB
2. Shota Iizuka (Chuo Univ.) - 20.45 - PB
3. Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) - 20.56
Women's 3000 mSC
1. Yoshika Arai (Team Edion) - 9:55.93
2. Hitomi Nakamura (Team Panasonic) - 9:57.55 - PB
3. Misato Horie (Team Noritz) - 10:05.40
Women's 400 mH Final
1. Satomi Kubokura (Niigata Albirex AC) - 55.98
2. Tomomi Yoneda (Chuo Univ.) - 56.62 - PB
3. Shiori Miki (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 57.15
Men's 110 mH Final
1. Kenji Yahata (Monteroza AC) - 13.72
2. Yuto Aoki (Messias AC) - 13.85
3. Masanori Nishizawa (Tottori Kyoiku Univ.) - 13.87
Women's High Jump
1. Azumi Maeda (Juntendo Univ.) - 1.80 m - PB
2. Moeko Kyoya (Hokkaido Kyoiku Univ.) - 1.75 m - PB
3. Miyuki Fukumoto (Konan Gakuen AC) - 1.75 m
Men's High Jump
1. Hiromi Takahari (Hitachi ICT AC) - 2.20 m
2. Takashi Eto (Suzuka Kogyo H.S.) - 2.20 m
3. Satoru Kubota (Monteroza AC) - 2.15 m
Men's Triple Jump
1. Yuma Okabe (Fukuoka Univ.) - 16.54 m - PB
2. Daigo Hasegawa (Hitachi ICT AC) - 16.17 m
3. Yohei Kajikawa (Tsukuba Univ.) - 16.10 m
Women's Hammer Throw
1. Asumi Aya (Maruzen Kogyo AC) - 64.91 m
2. Mika Takekawa (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 58.09 m
3. Wakana Sato (Miyagi Teachers' Club) - 56.81 m
Men's Shot Put
1. Satoshi Hatase (Gunma Alsok AC) - 17.91 m
2. Yohei Murakawa (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 17.86 m
3. Takanao Suzuki (Nittai Univ.) - 17.25 m - PB
Women's Javelin Throw
1. Yuki Ebihara (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 62.36 m - NR
2. Haruka Matoba (Osaka Taiku Univ.) - 58.93 m - PB
3. Risa Miyashita (Osaka Taiku Univ.) - 58.27 m
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
As with the great showdown between Genki Dean (Waseda Univ.) and Yukifumi Murakami (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) yesterday, the biggest show on the final day of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials came in the javelin. Murakami's teammate Yuki Ebihara (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) unexpectedly came up with a big throw in the middle of the women's javelin competition, adding 80 cm on to her own national record to score a new NR of 62.36 m. An A-standard mark, Ebihara led the day's haul of people meeting the Federation's standards for an assured London Olympic position.In the men's 200 m Kei Takase (Team Fujitsu) likewise earned himself an Olympic spot, running an A-standard PB of 20.42 to take the win. For a moment it looked as though 2012 Jr. World Champion Shota Iizuka (Chuo Univ.) might take the win, but Takase succeeded in easing past into 1st. Iizuka took 2nd in a large PB of 20.45 and should find himself in London. Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) was 3rd, over the A-standard in 20.56 behind his younger rivals, but with an A-standard 20.49 behind him earlier this season he should round out a full complement.
Hitomi Niiya (Team Univ. Ent.), runner-up in last year's Nationals women's 5000 m, was another to join the London team. Known for frontrunning and pushing the pace, Niiya unexpectedly sat back through a slow 3:06 first km and was one of only two to follow the move of national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) at the start of the next km. 10000 m national champion Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) showed signs of fatigue and swiftly fell away, but Niiya put the pressure on Fukushi and went by as the pair entered the second half of the race. Fukushi likewise looked tired from the 10000 m, and when Niiya surged to keep the pace on sub-A-standard track she found herself pulling away from the NR holder. Niiya, who did not run the 10000 m despite holding the A-standard, took the win in 15:17.92 to join the London fold, with Fukushi 2nd in 15:25.74. Second in both the 5 and 10 with A-standard marks at both distances on the books, Fukushi is a virtual certainty for the Olympic team but must wait for the official team announcement on Monday.
Yoshikawa faded to 5th in 15:37.67, run down by little-known Misaki Onishi (Team Sekisui Kagaku) who came up with a PB of 15:32.89 for 3rd, and 1500 m NR holder Yuriko Kobayashi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki). Despite the relatively poor showing, she is already on the team in the 10000 m and, holding a 5000 m A-standard, could take the third 5000 m spot along with Niiya and Fukushi. Alternatively, last year's 5000 m national champion Megumi Kinukawa (Mizuno), who holds the fastest 5000 m A-standard time among the Japanese women and the 2nd-fastest 10000 m time and who finished 3rd in the 10000 m, could be named to the 5000 m despite not running it this year. As still another alternatively, Niiya could be put in the 10000 m over Kinukawa even though she sat it out on Friday. Although all four could reasonably be on the Olympic team, Yoshikawa, Fukushi, Kinukawa and Niiya will have to wait until Monday to find out their fates.
Three other athletes, men's 800 m NR holder Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu), women's 200 m NR holder Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) and women's 400 mH NR holder Satomi Kubokura (Niigata Albirex AC), won their events nd have clocked B-standard times within the London qualifying period. They are likely to swell the ranks of Japan's Olympic team once the Federation announces the final team roster Monday afternoon.
2012 Japanese Olympic Trials - 96th National T&F Championships
Day Three Results
Nagai Stadium, Osaka, 6/10/12
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 headers for complete video.
Women's 5000 m
1. Hitomi Niiya (Team Univ. Ent.) - 15:17.92
2. Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) - 15:25.74
3. Misaki Onishi (Team Sekisui Kagaku) - 15:32.89 - PB
4. Yuriko Kobayashi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:33.21
5. Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) - 15:37.67
6. Misaki Katsumata (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 15:38.39
7. Ryoko Kizaki (Team Daihatsu) - 15:38.88
8. Risa Takenaka (Team Shiseido) - 15:41.36
9. Grace Kimanzi (Kenya/Team Starts) - 15:48.47
10. Ayuko Suzuki (Nagoya Univ.) - 15:50.16
Women's 1500 m Final
1. Ayako Jinnouchi (Team Kyudenko) - 4:16.42
2. Chikako Mori (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 4:18.53 - PB
3. Satoe Kikuchi (Matsuyama Univ.) - 4:19.04 - PB
Men's 1500 m Final
1. Keisuke Tanaka (Team Fujitsu) - 3:45.49
2. Hiroshi Ino (Team Fujitsu) - 3:45.84
3. Tasuku Arai (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 3:46.03 - PB
Women's 800 m Final
1. Ruriko Kubo (Team Edion) - 2:04.18
2. Manami Mashita (Tsukuba Univ.) - 2:04.78
3. Chihiro Sunaga (Team Shiseido) - 2:04.86 - PB
Men's 800 m Final
1. Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu) - 1:48.12
2. Takeshi Kuchino (Team Fujitsu) - 1:48.36
3. Shohei Oka (Juntendo Univ.) - 1:48.51
Women's 200 m Final
1. Chisato Fukushima (Hokkaido Hi-Tec AC) - 23.35
2. Kana Ichikawa (Chuo Univ.) - 23.62 - PB
3. Momoko Takahashi (Team Fujitsu) - 23.74
Men's 200 m Final
1. Kei Takase (Team Fujitsu) - 20.42 - PB
2. Shota Iizuka (Chuo Univ.) - 20.45 - PB
3. Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) - 20.56
Women's 3000 mSC
1. Yoshika Arai (Team Edion) - 9:55.93
2. Hitomi Nakamura (Team Panasonic) - 9:57.55 - PB
3. Misato Horie (Team Noritz) - 10:05.40
Women's 400 mH Final
1. Satomi Kubokura (Niigata Albirex AC) - 55.98
2. Tomomi Yoneda (Chuo Univ.) - 56.62 - PB
3. Shiori Miki (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 57.15
Men's 110 mH Final
1. Kenji Yahata (Monteroza AC) - 13.72
2. Yuto Aoki (Messias AC) - 13.85
3. Masanori Nishizawa (Tottori Kyoiku Univ.) - 13.87
Women's High Jump
1. Azumi Maeda (Juntendo Univ.) - 1.80 m - PB
2. Moeko Kyoya (Hokkaido Kyoiku Univ.) - 1.75 m - PB
3. Miyuki Fukumoto (Konan Gakuen AC) - 1.75 m
Men's High Jump
1. Hiromi Takahari (Hitachi ICT AC) - 2.20 m
2. Takashi Eto (Suzuka Kogyo H.S.) - 2.20 m
3. Satoru Kubota (Monteroza AC) - 2.15 m
Men's Triple Jump
1. Yuma Okabe (Fukuoka Univ.) - 16.54 m - PB
2. Daigo Hasegawa (Hitachi ICT AC) - 16.17 m
3. Yohei Kajikawa (Tsukuba Univ.) - 16.10 m
Women's Hammer Throw
1. Asumi Aya (Maruzen Kogyo AC) - 64.91 m
2. Mika Takekawa (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 58.09 m
3. Wakana Sato (Miyagi Teachers' Club) - 56.81 m
Men's Shot Put
1. Satoshi Hatase (Gunma Alsok AC) - 17.91 m
2. Yohei Murakawa (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 17.86 m
3. Takanao Suzuki (Nittai Univ.) - 17.25 m - PB
Women's Javelin Throw
1. Yuki Ebihara (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 62.36 m - NR
2. Haruka Matoba (Osaka Taiku Univ.) - 58.93 m - PB
3. Risa Miyashita (Osaka Taiku Univ.) - 58.27 m
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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