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JAAF Names Best-Ever Japanese Marathon Teams for Oregon World Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games

The JAAF held a press conference today to announce the Japanese men's and women's marathon teams for this year's Oregon World Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games. As usual there were a few surprises in the choices, but overall the lineups were free of controversial decisions.

National record holder and JMC Series I champ Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) leads the men's team for Oregon, with 2022 Osaka Marathon winner Gaku Hoshi (Konica Minolta) and 2022 Beppu-Oita Marathon winner Yusuke Nishiyama (Toyota) named to the other two spots. Both Hoshi and Nishiyama won in their debuts, Hoshi in a debut NR of 2:07:31 and Nishiyama in 2:07:47, making for an unusually inexperienced team. But with Paris 2024 just around the corner this is their chance to get that experience.

In a double surprise, JMC #2-ranked Japanese man Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima), 2:06:35 for 3rd at Lake Biwa and 2nd in Fukuoka last year, was picked for the Asian Games team, and Kenya Sonota (JR Higashi Nihon), the 2nd Japanese man in Tokyo this year in 2:07:23, was left off both teams. Taking the second spot on the Hangzhou team instead is Ichitaka Yamashita (Mitsubishi Juko), 2:07:42 for 2nd in Osaka behind Hoshi.

JMC 1-2 Mao Ichiyama (Shiseido) and Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) are both on the Oregon team, Matsuda the faster in the last two years with a 2:20:52 CR to win Osaka in January and Ichiyama 6th in Tokyo this year in 2:21:02 after finishing 8th in the Olympics last summer. The top Japanese woman in Nagoya two weeks ago in 2:22:22, Yuka Ando (Wacoal) was chosen to lead the Asian Games team rather than taking the third place in Oregon, which instead goes to the 2nd Japanese woman in Tokyo, Hitomi Niiya (Sekisui Kagaku), 2:21:17 for 7th overall. #3 in the JMC rankings, Mao Uesugi (Starts), 2:22:29 for 2nd in Osaka behind Matsuda, joins Ando on the Hangzhou team.

With the three fastest Japanese women in the last two years the women's team in Oregon puts an emphasis on time, while the men's team omits several faster runners in favor of proven competitive ability. But for both the women and the men, all four squads are the best Japan has ever put together for the World Championships and Asian Games. A complete list of 2021-2022 marathon results for all ten athletes:

Oregon World Championships - men
Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu)
4th, 2022 Tokyo Marathon, 2:05:28
4th, 2021 Chicago Marathon, 2:08:50
1st, 2021 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:04:56 - NR

Gaku Hoshi (Konica Minolta)
1st, 2022 Osaka Marathon, 2:07:31 - debut NR

Yusuke Nishiyama (Toyota)
1st, 2022 Beppu-Oita Marathon, 2:07:47 - debut, CR

Oregon World Championships - women
Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu)
1st, 2022 Osaka Int'l Women's Marathon, 2:20:52 - CR
1st, 2021 Nagoya Women's Marathon, 2:21:51

Mao Ichiyama (Shiseido)
6th, 2022 Tokyo Marathon, 2:21:02
8th, 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2:30:13
1st, 2021 Osaka Int'l Women's Marathon, 2:21:11

Hitomi Niiya (Sekisui Kagaku)
7th, 2022 Tokyo Marathon, 2:21:17

Hangzhou Asian Games - men
Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima)
2nd, 2021 Fukuoka International Marathon, 2:08:16
3rd, 2021 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:06:35

Ichitaka Yamashita (Mitsubishi Juko)
2nd, 2022 Osaka Marathon - 2:07:42
17th, 2021 Lake Biwa Marathon - 2:08:10

Hangzhou Asian Games women
Yuka Ando (Wacoal)
3rd, 2022 Nagoya Women's Marathon, 2:22:22

Mao Uesugi (Starts)
2nd, 2022 Osaka Int'l Women's Marathon, 2:22:29
7th, 2021 Nagoya Women's Marathon, 2:27:03
4th, 2021 Osaka Int'l Women's Marathon, 2:24:52

© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Rigajags said…
I definitely wasn't expecting that lineup (aside Suzuki who was a sure thing)for the men world championship but it's definitely intriguing betting on the potential of the 2 guys who had an impressive debut.
It will be definitely valuable experience and they are not playing it safe this time.
March 29, 2022 at 8:21 PM
Stefan said…
Regarding the Women's World Championship selections I am pleased Hitomi Niiya made the team but more than that I hope she can deliver a performance that justifies her selection on race day. I actually believe she will be Japan's top finisher on race day. Time will tell whether this prediction is foolish or correct.

As an aside I am very pleased to read a tweet from Honami Maeda after receiving the new Asics Metaspeed LD 'spiked' shoes indicating that she is gearing up for the track season (and not retired as I feared) and hopefully a return to a marathon event in the future. Very good news.
March 31, 2022 at 5:15 AM
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