On Dec. 3, Tokyo Olympics marathon team member Yuma Hattori (27, Toyota) announced that he has withdrawn from Sunday's Fukuoka International Marathon due to pain in his right calf. Hattori won Fukuoka in 2018, and in September last year he finished 2nd at Japan's MGC Race Olympic marathon trials to secure his place on the Olympic team. In Fukuoka this time he had planned to target the 2:05:29 Japanese national record.
Through Fukuoka organizers Hattori released the following statement: "I have been forced to withdraw from the Dec. 6 Fukuoka International Marathon. To the race organizers, the media, and to the fans who had been looking forward to cheering me on in the race, I apologize from the heart. This setback has made me realize the difficulty of just making it to the start line of a marathon in peak condition. I believe this experience will help me grow further and succeed in my future goals. One of those will be to return to the Fukuoka International Marathon as a more mature athlete."
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translated by Brett Larner
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