Skip to main content

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

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

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
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...
3 comments
Read more

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kawauchi Wins Inaugural Kawauchi Half Marathon

http://www.minyu-net.com/sports/running/FM20160501-070419.php translated by Brett Larner 川内優輝ロード pic.twitter.com/rEJk7CQPFV — みとっぽ (黒) (@mitoppo_tmyk) April 30, 2016 Yuki Kawauchi Road in Kawauchi, Fukushima Held to inspire former residents to return to the area after the nearby TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident five years ago, the village of Kawauchi held the first " Kawauchi no Sato Kaeru Half Marathon - From Reconstruction to Creation " on April 30.  The course started and finished at the village heliport.  1188 runners from across the country gathered to celebrate the village's revival as they ran through its springtime streets. The event's organizing committee was made up of local government and board of education members with support from the Fukushima Minyu Newspaper and other sponsors.  The race's purpose was to transmit the vitality and charm of the reconstructing Kawauchi village to the rest of the nation in hopes of helpin...
Post a Comment
Read more