Kimura and Abe Take Hurdle Titles, Yoshimura Breaks Steeplechase Junior NR - National Track and Field Championships Day Three Highlights

Day three of the National Track and Field Championships saw a few of the expected favorites prevail and a few unexpectedly fall short. In the women's 100 m hurdles 2019 Asian champion Ayako Kimura (Edion) won a very close race over Masumi Aoki (Nanajunana Ginko) and Asuka Terada (Pasona Group) in 13.14 (+0.6 m/s) to secure her spot back in Doha this fall. In the men's 400 m hurdles Takatoshi Abe (Yamada Denki) came back from a weak semi-final to win in 48.80, likewise guaranteeing himself a place on Japan's World Championships team. 2nd-place Masaki Toyoda (Hosei Univ.) was also under the Doha standard in 49.05, making himself a likely addition to the final team roster to be announced in September.

The women's 3000 m steeplechase saw an under-20 national record as Reimi Yoshimura (Daito Bunka Univ.) broke away from defending champion Yukari Ishizawa (Edion) and the rest of the lead pack after 2000 m to win in 9:50.44. In the race of the day, Ryohei Sakaguchi (Tokai Univ.) ran a PB of 8:29.85 to win the men's 3000 m steeplechase, downing heavy favorite Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) but coming up an agonizing 0.85 shy of the Doha standard. After clearing the standard in the qualifying rounds all Shiojiri needed to do was win to be named to the national team. But Sakaguchi was relentless in keeping things fast, repeatedly surging past Shiojiri whenever he went to the front.

On the back straight in the final lap Sakaguchi got a gap on Shiojiri as he kicked for the standard. Whether from fatigue or loss of focus, Shiojiri fell hard on the jump just before the curve, struggling to get back up as others went by. Sakaguchi took the national title, with Yusuke Uchikoshi (Otsuka Seiyaku) next in a PB of 8:35.39. Shiojiri struggled in to finish 8th in 8:51.44, missing out on confirming his place in Doha and how having to wait for September's announcement.

Likewise in the men's pole vault, defending champion Seito Yamamoto (Toyota) finished only 3rd at 5.51 m to miss a guaranteed spot in Doha. Masaki Ejima (Nihon) was the only man to clear 5.61 m, with veteran national record holder Daichi Sawano (Fujitsu) having a minor comeback with a season best 5.51 m for 2nd. Relative unknown Ryusei Kakino (Gold's Gym) jumped a PB 16.03 m (+1.0 m/s) to win the men's triple jump, with Hiroki Ako (Manabiyaen) winning the men's hammer throw with 66.64 m. Last year's women's hammer throw champion Akane Watanabe (Maruwa) nearly equalled Ako's winning mark, throwing 64.59 m to score another national title.

The National Track and Field Championships wrap up Sunday.

103rd National Track and Field Championships Day Three

Hakatanomori Field, Fukuoka, 6/29/2019
complete results

Finals

Women's 100 m Hurdles +0.6 m/s
1. Ayako Kimura (Edion) - 13.14
2. Masumi Aoki (Nanajunana Ginko) - 13.15 - PB
3. Asuka Terada (Pasona Group) - 13.16
4. Hitomi Shimura (Toho Ginko) - 13.20
5. Chisato Kiyoyama (Ichigo) - 13.24 - PB
6. Mako Fukube (Nikkenko) - 13.30
7. Miho Suzuki (Hasegawa Sports Club) - 13.31 - PB
8. Nana Fujimori (Meiji Univ.) - 13.41

Men's 400 m Hurdles
1. Takatoshi Abe (Yamada Denki) - 48.80
2. Masaki Toyoda (Hosei Univ.) - 49.05 - PB
3. Yuki Matsushita (Mizuno) - 49.47
4. Keisuke Nozawa (Mizuno) - 49.51
5. Masaya Oda (Nagoya Univ.) - 49.60 - PB
6. Yutaro Mano (Nagoya Univ.) - 50.07
7. Mitsuru Suga (Niigata Albirex RC) - 50.27
8. Kohei Miyako (Doshisha Univ.) - 51.37

Women's 3000 m Steeplechase
1. Reimi Yoshimura (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 9:50.44 - U20 NR
2. Yukari Ishizawa (Edion) - 9:59.54
3. Yui Yabuta (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 9:59.70
4. Nana Sato (Starts) - 10:05.34
5. Yuno Yamanaka (Ehime Ginko) - 10:08.38 - PB

Men's 3000 m Steeplechase
1. Ryohei Sakaguchi (Tokai Univ.) - 8:29.85 - PB
2. Yusuke Uchikoshi (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 8:35.39 - PB
3. Ryoma Aoki (Hosei Univ.) - 8:36.65
4. Seiya Shigeno (Press Kogyo) - 8:38.84
5. Ryuji Miura (Rakunan H.S.) - 8:40.30 - PB

Men's Pole Vault
1. Masaki Ejima (Nihon Univ.) - 5.61 m
2. Daichi Sawano (Fujitsu) - 5.51 m
3. Seito Yamamoto (Toyota) - 5.51 m
4. Kosei Takekawa (Hosei Univ.) - 5.41 m
5. Kazuya Ishibashi (Seiwa Univ.) - 5.31 m

Men's Triple Jump
1. Ryusei Kakino (Gold's Gym) - 16.03 m +1.0 m/s - PB
2. Hikari Ikehata (Surugadai Univ. AC) - 16.02 m +0.7 m/s
3. Ryoma Yamamoto (JAL) - 16.01 m +1.4 m/s
4. Yuki Yamashita (Ibaraki T&F Assoc.) - 15.95 m +0.4 m/s
5. Kyo Arimatsu (Niigata Albirex RC) - 15.74 m +0.2 m/s

Women's Hammer Throw
1. Akane Watanabe (Maruwa) - 64.59 m
2. Miharu Kodate (Ryutsu Keizai Univ.) - 61.37 m
3. Tamami Saeki (Champion) - 60.87 m
4. Hitomi Katsuyama (Orico) - 60.14 m
5. Momoko Watanabe (Tsukuba Univ.) - 59.30 m - PB

Men's Hammer Throw
1. Hiroki Ako (Manabiyaen) - 66.64 m
2. Tatsuto Watanabe (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 65.45 m - PB
3. Naoki Uematsu (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 65.42 m
4. Kentaro Yoshino (Osaka Taiiku Univ.) - 65.02 m
5. Masayoshi Okumura (Okumura Zoen) - 62.04 m

Final Qualifiers

Women's 200 m
Sakiho Kageyama (Funabashi Municipal H.S.) - 24.08
Mei Kodama (Fukuoka Univ.) - 24.18
Aimi Saito (Osaka Seikei Univ.) - 24.22
Abigail Fuka Ido (Shigakukan H.S.) - 24.26
Maki Wada (Mizuno) - 24.35
Aiko Iki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 24.58
Kanami Mimura (Tokai Prep Sagami H.S.) - 24.58
Naoka Miyake (Sumitomo Denko) - 24.59

Men's 200 m
Yuki Koike (Sumitomo Denko) - 20.62
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Univ. of Florida) - 20.84
Jun Yamashita (Tsukuba Univ.) - 20.87
Kirara Shiraishi (Cerespo) - 20.91
Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) - 20.92
Tomoya Tamura (Sumitomo Denko) - 21.00
Akiyuki Hashimoto (Fujitsu) - 21.01
Yoshihiro Someya (Chuo Univ.) - 21.02

Women's 800 m
Ayano Shiomi (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 2:04.52
Sayana Hiria (Meisei H.S.) - 2:04.73
Yuki Hirota (Akita Univ.) - 2:04.89
Ran Urabe (Nike Tokyo TC) - 2:05.20
Yume Kitamura (Edion) - 2:05.22
Ayaka Kawata (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 2:05.53
Maki Ueda (Funairi H.S.) - 2:05.80
Erina Hosoi (Keio Univ.) - 2:05.97

Men's 1500 m
Nanami Arai (Honda) - 3:42.35
Shohei Shimizu (ND Software) - 3:42.57
Kazuto Izawa (Tokai Univ.) - 3:42.97
Ryota Matono (MHPS) - 3:43.18
Masaki Toda (Sunbelx) - 3:43.36
Shoma Funatsu (Chuo Univ.) - 3:43.56
Ryoji Tatezawa (Tokai Univ.) - 3:43.68
Hiroki Matsueda (Fujitsu) - 3:43.84
Kazuki Kawamura (Meiji Univ.) - 3:44.11
Shogo Hata (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 3:44.35
Keisuke Morita (Komori Corp.) - 3:44.39
Yasunari Kusu (Ami AC) - 3:45.13

Men's 110 m Hurdles
Shunya Takayama (Zenrin) - 13.44
Shuhei Ishikawa (Fujitsu) - 13.51
Kensuke Izumiya (Juntendo Univ.) - 13.54
Takashi Sato (Hitachi Kasei) - 13.76
Wataru Yazawa (Descente TC) - 13.79
Hiroki Fudaba (Yamada Denki) - 13.83
Ryota Fujii (Mie Sports Assoc.) - 13.83
Anthony Kuriki (Niigata Albirex RC) - 13.86

Women's 400 m Hurdles
Akiko Ito (Tsukuba Univ.) - 57.37
Eri Utsunomiya (Hasegawa Sports Club) - 57.73
Moeka Sekimoto (Waseda Univ.) - 58.02
Kana Koyama (Waseda Univ.) - 58.22
Aisa Ibrahim (Sapporo Kokusai Univ.) - 58.48
Haruka Shibata (Team Mizuno) - 58.53
Moe Oshiden (ND Software) - 58.84
Konomi Takeishi (Toho Ginko) - 59.16

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