Cross Country isn't a big thing in Japan, and with a tough course and hot conditions at the Bathurst World Cross Country Championships the Japanese national team didn't make much of an impact. And despite being the land of the long-distance relay, it declined to field a squad for the Mixed Relay 8 km.
As usual the U20 women's squad placed the best of the lot in team scoring, taking 5th despite its two strongest members, Nanaka Yonezawa and Yuya Sawada, finishing outside the scoring. Top two placers Kana Mizokami and Miku Muraoka both cracked the top 20.
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
The U20 men were 9th, with H.S. 5000 m NR holder Hiroto Yoshioka and 28:31 road 10 km high schooler Sonata Nagashima both DNFing in the mid-30s heat after leading the first lap. Yoshioka collapsed at a white line a few meters before the finish, then crawled feet-first until he collapsed again as soon as his feet touched the front edge of the finish line. But when he was unable to get fully across he was taken off in a wheelchair and scored as a DNF. With both of he and Nagashima out Daichi Shibata was the top Japanese placer at 24th.
5000 m NR holder Ririka Hironaka was a DNS with achilles tendon issues, leaving Japan short of a full team in the senior women's 10 km. In her absence only one Japanese woman made the top 20, Nozomi Tanaka placing 14th.
The senior men's 10 km was a disaster for Japan, with all four athletes running slower than senior women's gold and silver medalists Beatrice Chebet and Tsigie Gebreselama. The senior men placed 12th of 13 teams, beating only Papua New Guinea. And not by much. Former Aoyama Gakuin University star Keita Yoshida was the top placer at 74th.
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
Bathurst, Australia, 18 Feb. 2023
Mixed Relay
1. Kenya - 23:14
2. Ethiopia - 23:21
3. Australia - 23:26
U20 Women 6 km - Individual
1. Senayet Getachew (Ethiopia) - 20:53
2. Medina Eisa (Ethiopia) - 21:00
3. Pamela Kosei (Kenya) - 21:01
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17. Kana Mizokami (Japan) - 22:37
18. Aya Kotajima (Japan) - 22:46
20. Miku Muraoka (Japan) - 23:07
21. Mariya Noda (Japan) - 23:11
25. Yuya Sawada (Japan) - 23:20
28. Nanaka Yonezawa (Japan) - 23:29
Team
1. Ethiopia - 15
2. Kenya - 22
3. U.S.A. - 54
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5. Japan - 76
U20 Men 8 km - Individual
1. Ishmael Kipkurui (Kenya) - 24:29
2. Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 24:30
3. Boki Diriba (Ethiopia) - 24:31
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24. Daichi Shibata (Japan) - 26:39
35. Kaisei Okada (Japan) - 27:05
42. Kaisei Yasuhara (Japan) - 27:28
62. Taiga Tosen (Japan) - 30:21
DNF - Sonata Nagashima
DNF - Hiroto Yoshioka
Team
1. Kenya - 22
2. Ethiopia - 23
3. U.S.A. - 81
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9. Japan - 163
Senior Women's 10 km - Individual
1. Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) - 33:48
2. Tsigie Gebreselama (Ethiopia) - 33:56
3. Agnes Jebet Ngetich (Kenya) - 34:00
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14. Nozomi Tanaka (Japan) - 35:08
53. Reimi Yoshimura (Japan) - 38:34
62. Momoka Kawaguchi (Japan) - 39:50
Team
1. Kenya - 16
2. Ethiopia - 25
3. Uganda - 41
Senior Men's 10 km - Individual
1. Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) - 29:17
2. Berth Aregawi (Ethiopia) - 29:26
3. Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) - 29:37
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74. Keita Yoshida (Japan) - 33:57
81. Kazuma Hattori (Japan) - 34:26
91. Tomoya Kitamura (Japan) - 36:10
99. Shu Hasegawa (Japan) - 37:25
Team
1. Kenya - 22
2. Ethiopia - 33
3. Uganda - 37
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12. Japan - 345
Comments
I don't know if there's a better word to describe the japanese (Yoshioka and nagashima) approach to the start of the race other than "suicidal". Crazy pace in those conditions and with that field and they really paid for It.
Dramatic scenes at the end with Yoshioka. I hope he is fine.
He is currently listed in the entry list for next week National XC Championship and would have been his first race against future Juntendo teammmate Miura.(Who Is back in the entry list after last minute withdraw last year)
I guess he won't race after today and i just Hope they take It easy with him and he makes a full recovery.