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Japan's Olympic Marathon Women Talk Before Heading to Rio

http://www.nikkansports.com/olympic/rio2016/athletics/news/1688993.html

translated by Brett Larner

The three women of Japan's Rio de Janeiro Olympics marathon squad held a press conference at their training base at Princeton University in New Jersey on Aug. 3 local time, Aug. 4 Japan time.

Kayoko Fukushi (34, Team Wacoal) arrived at the training base on Aug. 1 after training at altitude in Boulder, Colorado for the last month.  After experiencing pain in the fifth metatarsal on her right foot in June she cancelled plans to run in a tuneup half marathon, but, she said with a weary laugh, "Coach had me running plenty in Boulder.  I put in a truckload of training."

Mai Ito (32, Team Otsuka Seiyaku) said, "I've run 11 marathons so far, and for all of them I prepared seriously.  This time is no different.  I think I'm ready."

Tomomi Tanaka (28, Team Daiichi Seimei), looked relaxed from start to finish as she talked about her race plan, saying, "Everything has gone according to plan and my preparations have been good.  I think the race is going to come down to what happens in the second half."
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