1500 m, 3000 m and 5000 m HS NR Holder Keita Sato Enters Komazawa University - "Sub-13 Before I Graduate"
Keita Sato, holder of the high school national records for 1500 m (3:37.18), 3000 m (7:50.81) and 5000 m (13:31.19), has moved into the team dorm at Komazawa University following his graduation from Kyoto's Rakunan H.S. Sato will start classes at Komazawa in April. Packing his hopes and dreams into a suitcase for the trip up to Tokyo, Sato was unfazed by the three-hour shinkansen trip. "I went on longer trips than this for training camps in high school," he said. "This isn't that long."
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Sato's roommate at Komazawa will be Ibuki Kaneko, who ran well on the uphill Fifth Stage at the Hakone Ekiden and is starting his third year in April. Assigned to mentor is Kotaro Shinohara, just finishing his own first year, who beat Sato by one place at February's National Cross Country Championships. Shinohara welcomed the team's new recruit. "Sato's really strong," he said. "I'll have to work hard to not get beaten."
As the older team members show the 18-year-old Sato around the dorm, his 180 cm height stands out. His long limbs and dynamic form already make him a match for even the best among them on the track. Last June Sato was 8th in the 1500 m at the National Championships. The next month he ran 3:37.18, the 3rd-fastest time ever by a Japanese athlete and bettering the high school national record for the first time in 22 years. Later in the summer he won the 1500 m at the National High School Championships and was the top Japanese placer in the 5000 m at 3rd overall. In the fall he broke the 3000 m and 5000 m high school national records.
Sato is still over two seconds off the 3:35.00 qualifying standard for July's Oregon World Championships 1500 m, but, says Komazawa head coach Hiroaki Oyagi, is optimistic about his chances. "I'd like him to go for it, and in the 5000 m as well." Sato agreed, saying, "I want to run sub-13 while I'm a student here. The focus until my second year will be on developing my speed, and making the World Championships this year is a major goal. First up I have to get the standard and make top 3 at Nationals."
Last November Komazawa won the National University Men's Ekiden for the second year in a row, and in January it was 3rd at the Hakone Ekiden. Sato is also highly motivated for ekiden success. "I want to build my stamina at the summer training camps and be in position to win my stage right from my first year. The Hakone team will be tough to make because the older runners are more experienced with long distances, but I'd be happy to run anything other than the mountain stages."
Also at Komazawa are two of Japan's best 10000 m runners, Ren Tazawa, 27:23.44, and Mebuki Suzuki, 27:41.68. Tazawa is the fastest-ever Japanese-born collegian and all-time Japanese #2, and Suzuki was 3rd at last year's National Championships. "Having strong senior teammates will motivate me to improve my own level," said Sato with characteristic stoicism.
Komazawa's annual first-year training camp starts on Mar. 17 and will mark Sato's official transition from "Rakunana's Sato" to "Komazawa's Sato." Having laid out some big goals, this 18-year-old talent is sure to play a big role both in Japan and at the world level.
translated by Brett Larner
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