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Japan Sends Team of Thirteen to Nanjing Youth Olympics

by Brett Larner

Amid concerns for athletes' safety in a city with strong resentment of Japanese denial of the Nanking Massacre, with delegation head Yosuke Fujiwara directing team members not to wear their uniforms outside the athletes' village and boos greeting the Japanese delegation during the opening ceremonies, Japan sends a team of only thirteen to compete in athletics at the second Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.

4th in the girls' 3000 m at last month's World Junior Championships in Eugene, U.S.A., Nozomi Musembi Takamatsu (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) is the lone distance runner on the team, a sure medal contender after her 9:02.85 in Eugene.  Other prominent members include Hina Takahashi (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) in the girls' 800 m, Kenta Oshima (Tokyo H.S.) in the boys' 100 m, Sayori Matsumoto (Nara Ikuei H.S.) in the girls' 5000 m race walk and Yuji Hiramatsu (Shijoyo H.S.) in the boys' high jump, all national title winners at the National High School Track and Field Championships earlier this month, along with boys' discus youth national record holder Yume Ando (Tokyo H.S.).  Below is a complete breakdown of the team roster.

2nd Youth Olympics
Japanese National Team in Athletics
Nanjing, China, Aug. 20-26, 2014
click here for detailed English-language bios of each team member

Boys' 100 m - Kenta Oshima (Tokyo H.S.) - P.B.: 10:37 (+1.9)
1st, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Boys' 200 m - Jun Yamashita (Fukushima H.S.) - P.B.: 21.23 (-0.2)
3rd, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Boys' 110 m Hurdles - Nao Kanai (Tachibana H.S.) - P.B.: 13.77 (-0.1)
3rd, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Boys' High Jump - Yuji Hiramatsu (Shijoyo H.S.) - P.B.: 2.19 m
1st, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Boys' Discus Throw - Yume Ando (Tokyo H.S.) - P.B.: 59.48 m - Youth NR
2nd, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Boys' Race Walk - Minoru Onogawa (Tokyo Jitsugyo H.S.) - P.B.: 46:06.83
2nd, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Girls' 200 m - Tomomi Kawamura (Morioka Daiichi H.S.) - P.B.: 24.29 (-0.3)
4th, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Girls' 800 m - Hina Takahashi (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - P.B.: 2:07.19
1st, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Girls' 3000 m - Nozomi Musembi Takamatsu (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - P.B.: 9:02.85
4th, 2014 World Junior Track and Field Championships

Girls' 100 m Hurdles - Nana Fujimori (Hamamatsu Municipal H.S.) - P.B.: 13.84 (+0.2)
3rd, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Girls' Pole Vault - Misaki Morota (Ota Joshi H.S.) - P.B.: 3.50 m

Girls' Javelin Throw - Nagisa Mori (Meijo Prep Fuzoku H.S.) - P.B.: 49.03 m
5th, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

Girls' Race Walk - Sayori Matsumoto (Nara Ikuei H.S.) - P.B.: 24:13.13
1st, 2014 National High School Track and Field Championships

(c) 2014 Brett Larner
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