Skip to main content

Kawauchi Arrives in South Korea for Friday's Asian Games Marathon (updated)

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/09/29/kiji/K20140929009015030.html
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140929-00000559-san-spo

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Incheon Asian Games marathoner Yuki Kawauchi (27, Saitama Pref. Gov't) arrived by plane at Seoul International Airport on Sept. 27.  The gold medal-aspiring civil servant runner had a stony expression as he showed confidence in his condition, saying, "I've built up for this."  On his arrival it was raining lightly with cool temperatures around 20 degrees.  Averse to the heat of summer races, Kawauchi said, "These conditions are great.  I hope it's like this on the big day."

Regularly incorporating trail and mountain running into his training, Kawauchi was shocked and dismayed by the serious damage caused by the eruption of Mt. Ontake a few days ago.  "I've never been there, but Ontake is a well-established center for distance running [training].  I can't believe something like that happened."

If Kawauchi wins the gold medal, he will earn a guaranteed spot on the team for next year's Beijing World Championships.  Finishing in the top eight there as the top Japanese would earn him a guaranteed spot on the Rio De Janeiro Olympics.  In that respect, the Asian Games Marathon are a major step toward realizing his Olympic dreams.  With 2:06 Ethiopian Shumi Dechasa having recently acquired Bahrain citizenship, Kawauchi said warily, "There has probably never been [an Asian Games marathon] this high-level."

The men's marathon takes place the morning of Friday, Oct. 3.  Having made the last two World Championships teams Kawauchi has experience wearing the Rising Sun, but both races ended in defeat.  At the Asian Games, Kawauchi said, "Third time's a charm."

Enter JRN's Asian Games marathon prediction contest for a chance to win a custom-made stainless steel finisher's medal wall display with Kawauchi's motto "Genjou Daha" ["Make a Breakthrough"], an issue of Like the Wind magazine, or a limited edition Kawauchi uchiwa fan produced for the Asian Games by broadcaster TBS.  Entries must be received before the start of the women's marathon on Oct. 2.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Chepkirui Over Sato Again to Win 2nd-Straight Nagoya Women's Marathon, Chen Breaks Malaysian NR (updated)

This year's Nagoya Women's Marathon felt like a changing of the guard, with some the bigger domestic names over the last few years fading early and a lot of newer faces stepping up with quality debuts or second marathons. The front group was set to be paced for 2:20 flat with the 2nd group at 2:23:30 to hit the auto-qualifying time for the 2027 MGC Race, Japan's L.A. Olympics marathon trials race in Nagoya. Up front things went out OK, but after a 33:10 split at 10 km Ayuko Suzuki , 2:21:22 here 2 years ago, lost touch, ultimately finishing 23rd in 2:33:28. Windy conditions started to play with pacers' ability to keep things steady and the pace slowed majorly over the next 10 km, but even with a 34:05 second 10 km there were big-name casualties. 2024 Nagoya winner Yuka Ando was next to drop, ending up 17th in 2:30:32. NR holder Honami Maeda was next, followed quickly by Bahraini Kenyan Eunice Chumba and debuting Wakana Kabasawa . Maeda faded to 21st in 2:31:21, whil...
2 comments
Read more

Nagoya Women's Marathon Preview and Streaming (updated)

Japan's winter marathon season of 6 major races in 7-straight weekends wraps up Sunday with the world's largest women-only marathon, the Nagoya Women's Marathon . The weather is looking pretty good, 6˚ at the start rising to 10˚ by the finish and sunny skies, but a moderate 7 m/s NW wind means a headwind finish that might impact the potential for some fast times. Official streaming kicks off at 9:00 a.m. local time. Live results will be here . Sheila Chepkirui won last year in 2:20:40, breaking away from Sayaka Sato and Eunice Chebichii Chumba at 30 km and hanging on for the win. Sato negative split a 2:20:59 PB for 2nd, Chumba fading to 3rd in 2:21:36. All 3 are back this time, but they have pretty serious competition from Aynalem Desta , 2:17:37 in Amsterdam last fall, and Selly Chepyego Kaptich , 2:20:03 in Barcelona 2023. And of course, Japanese NR holder Honami Maeda . Maeda ran 2:18:59 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2024 to make the Paris Oly...
Post a Comment
Read more

16 Women and 26 Men on the Current Olympic Trials Qualifier List

Last weekend's Nagoya Women's Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon the weekend before brought the main part of the first year of qualification for the Marathon Grand Championship Race, Japan's L.A. Olympics marathon trials to be held in Nagoya in October, 2027, to an end. There are still a few races like the Nagano Marathon and overseas World Athletics platinum label races this season where people might qualify, but for the most part we're not likely to see many new additions until August's Hokkaido Marathon, where the qualifying period opened last year. As of right now 16 women and 26 men have qualified, although the first woman to make the cut, Ai Hosoda , announced that she was retiring after Tokyo earlier this month. Out of the 16 women to have qualified so far, Mikuni Yada is the fastest with her 2:19:57 debut at Osaka Women's in January. Including Hosoda that makes 2 qualifiers for the Edion corporate team, but Daihatsu has the biggest share of the field so ...
Post a Comment
Read more