Doha World Championships Day Eight Japanese Results

Following up on Yusuke Suzuki's win in the 50 km, Japan scored its second race walk gold with another win in the 20 km by Toshikazu Yamanishi. Where Suzuki led start-to-finish, Yamanishi waited 5 km before making a bold move to open a 17-second lead over Sweden's Perseus Karlstrom. From there he was never really under threat, Karlstrom and others shaving a few seconds off his lead but dropping back again over the final lap. In the end Yamanishi won by 15 seconds in 1:26:34, with Russian Vasiliy Mizinov overtaking Karlstrom for silver. Koki Ikeda made the top 8 with a 6th-place finish in 1:29:02, with Eiki Takahashi 10th in 1:30:04.

The race walks may well end up being Japan's best shot at a medal next year in Tokyo, but there's no question that along with the men's marathon the event the home crowd will be cheering for the hardest is the men's 4x100 m relay. Running a new lineup of Yuki Koike, Kirara Shiraishi, Yoshihide Kiryu and Abdul Hakim Sani Brown in the heats, Japan made it through the extremely high-level Heat 2, taking 2nd in 37.78. Heat winner South Africa set an African area record 37.68 with 3rd-place China and 5th-placer the Netherlands likewise setting new national records of 37.79 and 37.91. Canada was 6th in 37.91 but didn't make it through to the final. In the first heat only the top two placers, winner Great Britain in a world-leading 37.56 and runner-up Brazil in a South American record 37.90, went under 38, the fast times in the second heat shutting out Jamaica and others from the first heat. Based on its time in the heats Japan is ranked 3rd going into the final, but its chances of a medal are anything but assured.

Doha World Athletics Championships

Day Eight Japanese Results
Doha, Qatar, 4 Oct. 2019
complete results

Finals

Men's 20 km Race Walk
1. Toshikazu Yamanishi (Japan) - 1:26:34
2; Vasiliy Mizinov (ANA) - 1:26:49
3. Perseus Karlstrom (Sweden) - 1:27:30
-----
6. Koki Ikeda (Japan) - 1:29:02
10. Eiki Takahashi (Japan) - 1:30:03

Qualifying Rounds

Men's 4x100 m Relay Heat Two
1. South Africa - 37.65 - Q, AR
2. Japan - 37.78 - Q
3. China - 37.79 - Q, NR
4. France - 37.88 - q
5. Netherlands - 37.91 - q, NR
6. Canada - 37.91
7. Germany - 38.24
DQ - Nigeria

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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