Tokyo Paralympics women's T12 marathon gold medalist and world record holder Misato Michishita (Mitsui Sumitomo) broke her own Asian area record to win the 5000 m on the first day of this weekend's National Para Track and Field Championships, just down the road in Kobe from the National Championships and U20 National Championships in Osaka. Running 18:31.72 with help from guide runner Megumi Kawaguchi, Michishita took over 17 seconds off her old record and over a minute off her own meet record to win by more than 2 minutes. T11 class Asian record holder Natsumi Inouchi (Mizuho FG) also took over a minute off the 5000 m meet record in her division, winning in 21:02.24. Wheelchair athlete Tsubasa Kina (Ryukyu Sports) won the T53/54 class in 12:22.22. The next day she was back in the 1500 m, where she was 2nd by 0.26 sec to NR holder Wakako Tsuchida (Willraise) 3:32.38 to 3:32.64.
© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
The meet record also went in the T12 men's 5000 m, with Asian record holder Tadashi Horikoshi (NTT Nishi Nihon) beating his own meet record by more than 20 seconds in 14:53.55 but still 5 seconds short of his area record. T11 Asian record holder Kenya Karasawa (Subaru) was under his own meet record in 15:25.21 but was beaten by over 10 seconds by Shinya Wada (Nagase Sangyo), 1st in a 15:14.69 MR. Ryota Yoshida (SUS) and Kozo Kubo (Hitachi Solutions) had a photo finish in the T53/54 race, both going under the old MR and Yoshida getting the win by 0.14 sec in 10:18.73.
Wada and Karasawa faced off again in the 1500 m Sunday, and again Wada, the Asian record and meet record holder in the event, took 1st in a close race. Wada clocked 4:05.93 to Karasawa's 4:06.31, a fraction off a second off his own MR. In the T20 class race, Daiki Akai (NCR) broke his own meet record in 3:55.80, missing his Asian record by less than 3 seconds. T36 NR holder Naoyuki Tamura (SRC) lopped 32 seconds off his MR with a 5:25.27 win, while Takafumi Igusa (AC Kita) set a new T38 Asian record of 4:25.65, over 20 seconds under the old record. T53/54 winner Yoshida doubled in the 1500 m but was a DNF, leaving Tomoki Suzui (Toyota) to take the win in 3:07.77.
Complete results from the National Para Track and Field Championships are available here.
Comments