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World University Cross Country Championships - Results

by Brett Larner

Japan's contingent ran well at Saturday's World University Cross Country Championships in Cassino, Italy, scoring two individual and two team medals in a field made somewhat softer by the absence of South Africa, whose team management reportedly forgot to apply for visas, and the United States which elected not to send a team to compete internationally. 

In the women's 6.2 km, Moeno Shimizu (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) and Maki Izumida (Rikkyo Univ.) were part of a tight four-way battle for the podium, both outlasting Jennifer Louise Nesbitt (Great Britain) but unable to top winner Sevilay Eytemis (Turkey).  Eytemis scored gold in 21:57, Shimizu taking silver three seconds back and Izumida bronze a stride behind.  With women's team scoring based on the first three of six finishers Japan took the gold thanks to Shimizu, Izumida and Nanako Kanno (Ritsumeikan Univ.), 8th overall in 22:27.  Nesbitt's 4th-place finish led Great Britain to the team silver, with hosts Italy winning bronze.

In the men's 10.7 km, Morocco swept the first four places, Hicham Amghar scoring gold in 33:46.  Japan landed three men in the top ten led by first-year Kazuya Shiojiri (Juntendo Univ.) at 5th in 33:56, just five seconds out of an individual bronze.  With men's team results scored by the first four of six finishers Morocco earned a perfect gold, Japan taking silver with 5th, 6th, 8th and 12th-place finishes.  Turkey won bronze with two in the top ten.

20th World University Cross Country Championships
Cassino, Italy, 3/12/16
click here for complete results

Women's 6.2 km
1. Sevilay Eytemis (Turkey) - 21:57
2. Moeno Shimizu (Japan) - 22:00
3. Maki Izumida (Japan) - 22:01
4. Jennifer Louise Nesbitt (Great Britain) - 22:05
5. Laura Donegan (Australia) - 22:12
6. Philippa Ruth Woolven (Great Britain) - 22:20
7. Danielle Allen (Australia) - 22:26
8. Nanako Kanno (Japan) - 22:27
9. Ai Hosoda (Japan) - 22:32
10. Valeria Roffino (Italy) - 22:34
-----
13. Kanna Tamaki (Japan) - 22:37
14. Ayumi Uehara (Japan) - 22:41

Team Results
1. Japan - 13
2. Great Britain - 22
3. Italy - 41

Men's 10.7 km
1. Hicham Amghar (Morocco) - 33:46
2. Reda Jaafar (Morocco) - 33:49
3. Youssef Ben Had (Morocco) - 33:51
4. Mohamed Agourram (Morocco) - 33:53
5. Kazuya Shiojiri (Japan) - 33:56
6. Hideaki Sumiyoshi (Japan) - 33:58
7. Takieddine Hedeili (Algeria) - 34:08
8. Yusuke Nishiyama (Japan) - 34:08
9. Sabahattin Yildirimci (Turkey) - 34:13
10. Alper Demir (Turkey) - 34:19
-----
12. Kenta Ueda (Japan) - 34:26
20. Kai Takeshita (Japan) - 35:01
35. Hiroya Inoue (Japan) - 35:47

Team Results
1. Morocco - 10
2. Japan - 31
3. Turkey - 62

© 2016 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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