Skip to main content

Tobe Leaves Hospital After Achilles Surgery, Ejima Breaks Ankle, Kiryu to Take Rest of Season Off


On June 16 men's high jump national record holder Naoto Tobe (JAL) announced on his social media that he had torn his Achilles tendon. Tobe posted on Twitter, "Last week I ruptured my Achilles tendon during an official practice session and as a result missed the National Championships. I'm sorry to have made everyone worried. I've had an operation and left the hospital today."

Tobe had been scheduled to compete on the first day of the National Track and Field Championships on June 9 but withdrew at the last second. At last summer's Tokyo Olympics he became the first Japanese athlete in 49 years to make the high jump final. "I don't know how long it's going to take, but I'll definitely be back," he wrote. "I hope that you'll all still give me your support."

The next day, former men's 100 m NR holder Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) announced on his Twitter account that he will take the rest of the season off and not enter any races. "I've made the decision to create some time where I can sit down and really think through what I want to do for the rest of my career as an athlete," he wrote. "I'm going to take a little time off until I feel like racing and doing track and field again. I won't be running any more races this season."

On June 10 Kiryu finished 6th in the men's 100 m final at the National Championships, the selection event for Japan's national team for next month's Oregon World Championships.

On June 18, Masaki Ejima (Fujitsu), winner of the men's pole vault at Nationals last weekend, missed the mat on his first attempt at 5.45 m at the Nittai University Time Trials meet and fractured a bone in his ankle. Ejima tweeted video of the accident and pictures of himself on crutches and in a cast afterward.


Translator's note: Tobe is currently ranked 17th of 32 spots in the men's high jump quota for Oregon. Kiryu is ranked 42nd of 48 spots in the 100 m quota. Ejima is ranked 30th of 32 spots in the pole vault quota. All 3 had yet to hit the standard in their events.

source articles:
translated and edited by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

National University Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

The 95th National University Track and Field Championships run Friday through Monday at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The complete meet schedule and live results are here . The 10000 m races were already held separately earlier this season. Streaming starts at 9:00 a.m. Saturday Japan time, with separate field event channels and Day 2 and 3 streaming here . Top entries in each event with best performance in the qualifying window: Men 100 m Shoma Yamamoto (Hiroshima Univ.) - 10.04 Fukuto Komuro (Chuo Univ.) - 10.07 Naoki Nishioka (Tsukuba Univ.) - 10.09 Riku Oishi (Toyo Univ.) - 10.13 Kaito Kuroki (Chuo Univ.) - 10.14 Ryunosuke Mizuno (Waseda Univ.) - 10.14 Yugo Haitamataira (Juntendo Univ.) - 10.17 Shun Miyashita (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 10.19 200 m Akira Hayashi (Keio Univ.) - 20.36 Tomoru Funaki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 20.39 Oma Asai (Tsukuba Univ.) - 20.47 Reishin Yamamoto (Toyo Univ.) - 20.49 Shingo Suzuki (Tokai Univ.) - 20.54 Haruto Nakamura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 20.55 400 m Shinya Hayashi...

Yuasa and Niiya Win Hokkaido Marathon, 6 Qualify for Olympic Trials

  Six more people picked up qualifying spots for next year's MGC Race at yesterday's Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo, guaranteeing themselves places at Japan's 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In the men's race, Hibiki Yoshida tried to break away from the massive lead group at 30 km, opening a 25-second lead between there and 35 km before getting cut down by the chase trio of Jin Yuasa , Ken Tansho and Masato Arao . All three stayed together until the very end, Yuasa showing the same kind of closing speed he had in winning 2025 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon and pulling away to win in 2:10:46. The debuting Tansho was next in 2:10:55, with Arao, 6th at last year's Sydney Marathon in an excellent 2:07:42, 3rd here in 2:10:59. By clearing 2:12:00 all three picked up MGC qualifying spots, freeing them up to go overseas next spring. Continuing a great season, Soka University 's Shoki Yamaguchi was 4th in 2:11:47, missing out on trials qualification but bea...

Monterey Welcomes Student-Athletes from Sister City Nanao, Japan

a press release by the Monterey-Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project photos here Fourteen student-athletes from Nanao High School in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, recently completed a weeklong visit to the Monterey Peninsula as part of the Monterey–Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project , bringing together young people from the two Sister Cities through running, education, environmental stewardship, cultural exchange, and friendship. The seven boys and seven girls from Nanao were paired with 14 members of the Monterey High School cross country team and stayed in their homes throughout the visit. The week marked the first half of a reciprocal exchange that will continue when the Monterey students travel to Nanao later this year. The visitors received their first introduction to Monterey shortly after arriving at Monterey High School, walking with their hosts to Sister City Park and gathering for photographs beside the sign honoring Nanao — a fitting beginning for a week devoted to bringin...