Returning from her stellar 2:22:44 marathon debut in Osaka in January, Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) delivered the highlight of the opening day of competition at the 102nd Japanese National Track and Field Championships in Yamaguchi. Starting with a conservative 3:20 for the first 1000 m the pace gradually picked up thanks in large part to National Corporate Half Marathon runner-up Yuka Hori (Panasonic). Anxious to avoid a repeat of last year when she was outkicked by Matsuda over the last lap, 2016 national champ Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) launched a long surge from four and a half laps out, a move only Matsuda could follow. With one lap to go Suzuki had opened a 2 second lead, but it was nowhere near a margin of safety. Summoning up the same winning move as last year, Matsuda blew by Suzuki to win by 5 seconds in 31:52.42. Hori held on to 3rd in 32:05.52.
The day's other track final was the men's 10000 m. On a roll since his 2:06:54 breakthrough at the Tokyo Marathon in February, Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) did a lot of the heavy work at the front end of the race only to get dropped in the late going. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) emerged to take the top spot in 28:30.66, his first national title on the track. Veteran Kazuki Onishi (Kanebo) narrowly beat out last year's 3rd-placer Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) for 2nd, 28:34.25 to 28:34.61. The biggest story may have been 4th-placer Kazuya Nishiyama (Toyo Univ.), the only man in the field to run a PB and the top collegiate finisher at 28:35.72. Toyo is the same program that produced half marathon and marathon national record holder Yuta Shitara (Honda), and anytime they bring up a new young talent there's buzz all around. Inoue, in preparation for the Jakarta Asian Games marathon, ended up 7th in 28:42.91, while 2:08 marathoner Yuki Sato (Nissin Shokuhin), set to run the Berlin Marathon in September, dropped out mid-race.
On the field most events saw defending champions repeat, with women's long jump and hammer throw winners Ayaka Kora (Sonoda H.S.) and Hitomi Katsuyama (Orico) both improving on last year's marks. Women's high jump champion Haruka Nakano (Waseda Univ.) equalled her 2017 winning mark of 1.80 m, while new men's hammer throw champ Kunihiro Sumi (Kobayashi Create) delivered a 70.63 m PB for the win.
In qualifying action, national record holder Chisato Fukushima (Seiko) led the women's 100 m semis in 11.64 (+0.8 m/s) with Nodoka Seko (Crane) and 2017 winner Kana Ichikawa (Mizuno) close behind in 11.68 and 11.69, both running into headwinds. A few surprises came in the women's 1500 m qualifying heats, where 2018 Asian Junor champ Nozomi Tanaka (ND28 AC) and Youth Olympics gold medalist Nozomi Musembi Takamatsu (Nike Tokyo TC) both failed to make the final. Earlier in the day Tanaka's mother, sub-2:30 marathoner Chihiro Tanaka, told JRN that her daughter had been stuck on a train in Osaka for hours earlier in the week due to the major earthquake that hit the area and had been feeling anxiety during every aftershock that followed throughout the week.
On the men's side national record holder Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) led the semifinals in 10.16 (-0.3 m/s), but the fastest time of the day came via rival Ryota Yamagata (Seiko) who dropped a 10.13 (+0.5 m/s) in his heat. London World Championships 4x100 m relay team members Aska Cambridge (Nike) and Shuhei Tada (Kwansei Gakuin Univ.) both also made the final. Qualifying times in the 1500 m weren't especially fast, the U.S.-based Yasunari Kusu (Ami AC) leading with a 3:46.97, but what was noteworthy was Tokai University head coach Hayashi Morozumi's singlehanded effort to develop Japanese men's middle distance. Of the twelve qualifiers for the final, at least five are current Tokai students or recent graduates, defending national champion and indoor mile national record holder Ryoji Tatezawa among them.
The Japanese National Championships continue Saturday and Sunday with free live streaming on the JAAF site.
102nd Japanese National Track and Field Championships
Day One HighlightsYamaguchi, 6/22/18
complete results
Women
Women's 10000 m Final
1. Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) - 31:52.42
2. Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) - 31:57.82
3. Yuka Hori (Panasonic) - 32:05.52
4. Kaori Morita (Panasonic) - 32:15.14
5. Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) - 32:18.31
6. Yuka Takashima (Shiseido) - 32:18.59
7. Sakiho Tsutsui (Yamada Denki) - 32:18.70
8. Misaki Kato (Kyudenko) - 32:35.93
9. Harumi Okamoto (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 32:43.65
10. Yuki Munehisa (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 32:48.07
Women's High Jump Final
1. Haruka Nakano (Waseda Univ.) - 1.80 m
2. Nagisa Takahashi (Nihon Univ.) - 1.80 m - PB
3. Yuzuki Ishioka (Nihon Joshi Taiiku Univ.) - 1.80 m - PB
Women's Pole Vault Final
1. Juri Nanbu (Chukyo Univ.) - 4.09 m - PB
2. Mayu Nasu (Sonoda Gakuen Joshi Univ.) - 4.00 m
3. Rina Mamiya (Akutosu) - 4.00 m
Women's Long Jump Final
1. Ayaka Kora (Sonoda H.S.) - 6.22 m +0.5 m/s
2. Sumire Hata (Mukogawa Joshi Univ.) - 6.08 m +0.2 m/s
3. Meg Hemphill (Chuo Univ.) - 6.07 m +0.2 m/s
Women's Hammer Throw Final
1. Hitomi Katsuyama (Orico) - 64.48 m
2. Akane Watanabe (Maruwa Unyukikan) - 62.21 m
3. Tamami Saeki (Champion) - 62.15 m - PB
Women's 100 m Final Qualifiers
Chisato Fukushima (Seiko) - 11.64 (+0.8 m/s)
Nodoka Seko (Crane) - 11.68 (+0.1 m/s)
Kana Ichikawa (Mizuno) - 11.69 (-0.1 m/s)
Midori Mikase (Eniwa Kita H.S.) - 11.73 (+0.8 m/s)
Kaho Nishio (Konan Univ.) - 11.81 (-0.1 m/s)
Mizuki Nakamura (Osaka Seikei AC) - 11.82 (-0.1 m/s)
Miyu Maeyama (Niigata Albirex RC) - 11.86 (+0.1 m/s)
Chiaki Nagura (NTN) - 11.87 (+0.8 m/s)
Women's 400 m Final Qualifiers
Konomi Takeishi (Toho Ginko) - 54.04
Ayaka Kawata (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 54.05
Saki Takashima (Soyo H.S.) - 54.53
Mae Hirosawa (Nittai Univ.) - 54.59
Yuna Iwata (Chuo Univ.) - 54.71
Mayu Kobayashi (Nittai Univ.) - 54.78
Chika Matsumoto (Sugadai Univ.) - 55.03
Asami Shintaku (Art Home) - 55.04
Women's 1500 m Final Qualifiers
Mariko Takeuchi (Ehime Ginko) - 4:22.63
Yuna Wada (Meijo Univ.) - 4:22.76
Yuki Kanemitsu (Okayama Sozan H.S.) - 4:23.06
Ayako Jinnouchi (Kyudenko) - 4:23.22
Wakana Kabasawa (Keio Univ.) - 4:23.22
Maya Iino (Daiichi Seimei) - 4:23.29
Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu (Meijo Univ.) - 4:23.70
Ran Urabe (Nike Tokyo TC) - 4:28.37
Yuki Iwakawa (Imabari Zosen) - 4:28.46
Mina Ueda (Josai Univ.) - 4:28.75
Chihiro Sunaga (Shiseido) - 4:28.90
Kyoka Kudo (Nittai Univ.) - 4:28.92
Men
Men's 10000 m Final
1. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 28:30.66
2. Kazuki Onishi (Kanebo) - 28:34.25
3. Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) - 28:34.61
4. Kazuya Nishyama (Toyo Univ.) - 28:35.72 - PB
5. Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Asahi Kasei) - 28:41.15
6. Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) - 28:42.46
7. Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) - 28:42.91
8. Akira Aizawa (Toyo Univ.) - 28:45.93
9. Masaru Aoki (Kanebo) - 28:55.01
10. Kazuma Taira (Kanebo) - 28:58.30
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DNF - Yuki Sato (Nissin Shokuhin)
Men's Hammer Throw Final
1. Kunihiro Sumi (Kobayashi Create) - 70.63 m - PB
2. Ryota Kashimura (Yamada Denki) - 69.74 m
3. Naoki Uematsu (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 68.15 m
Men's 100 m Final Qualifiers (all -0.3 m/s)
Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) - 10.16 (10.15 +0.4 m/s in H5)
Ryota Yamagata (Seiko) - 10.19 (10.13 +0.5 m/s in H6)
Yuki Koike (ANA) - 10.23
Aska Cambridge (Nike) - 10.24
Takuya Nagata (Fujitsu) - 10.29
Shuhei Tada (Kwansei Gakuin Univ.) - 10.31
Ippei Takeda (Chuo Univ.) - 10.31
Takumi Kuki (NTN) - 10.46
Men's 400 m Final Qualifiers
Julian Walsh (Toyo Univ.) - 46.10
Kazushi Kimura (Yondenko) - 46.65
Rikuya Ito (Waseda Univ.) - 46.80
Jun Kimura (Osaka Gas) - 46.91
Tomoya Tamura (Sumitomo Denko) - 46.94
Taichi Suzuki (Nihon Univ.) - 46.96
Yuzo Kanemaru (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 47.02
Kazuki Matsuura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 47.02
Men's 800 m Final Qualifiers
Takumi Murashima (Fukui Pref. Sports Assoc.) - 1:48.55
Shunichi Takaki (Kanoya Taiiku Univ.) - 1:48.80
Rikuto Iijima (Waseda Univ.) - 1:49.16
Hiroyuki Shiraishi (Juntendo Univ.) - 1:49.33
Takuma Kuroki (Kinki Univ.) - 1:49.35
Takuto Hanamura (Kwansei Gakuin Univ.) - 1:49.52
Sho Kawamoto (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 1:49.72
Tatsuya Nishikubo (Waseda Univ.) - 1:49.92
Men's 1500 m Final Qualifiers
Yasunari Kusu (Ami AC) - 3:46.97
Hideyuki Tanaka (Toyota) - 3:47.01
Nanami Arai (Honda) - 3:47.08
Shoma Funatsu (Chuo Univ.) - 3:47.08
Daiki Hirose (Osaka Gas) - 3:47.12
Hikaru Kato (JR Higashi Nihon) - 3:47.34
Ryunosuke Hayashi (SGH Group) - 3:47.52
Ryoji Tatezawa (Tokai Univ.) - 3:47.61
Kazuyoshi Tamogami (Chuo Univ.) - 3:48.59
Tatsuro Okazaki (Osaka Gas) - 3:48.86
Riku Kimura (Tokai Univ.) - 3:48.84
Shogo Hata (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 3:48.90
Men's 400 mH Final Qualifiers
Takatoshi Abe (Descente TC) - 49.39
Yutaro Mano (Nagoya Univ.) - 49.50
Takayuki Kishimoto (Fujitsu) - 49.52
Tatsuhiro Yamamoto (Nihon Univ.) - 49.69
Ryo Kajiki (Sumitomo Denko) - 49.86
Kei Maeno (Under Armor) - 49.96
Yoshiro Watanabe (Josai Univ.) - 50.03
Yuki Matsushita (Mizuno) - 50.06
© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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