Skip to main content

Budapest World Championships Day 4 Japanese Results


After missing the final in Oregon last year 3000 m steeplechase national record holder Ryuji Miura built on his 7th-place 2021 Olympic debut with a 6th-place finish at the Budapest World Championships. Miura started slow and moved up throughout the race, getting as high as 5th when ahead of him a fall on the first obstacle after the bell brought bronze into tantalizingly close range. But he couldn't quite close it, and just steps before the finish he was run down by New Zealand's George Beamish, dropping to 6th in 8:13.70 with Beamish 5th in 8:13.46. Ryoma Aoki, who beat Miura to the punch as the first Japanese man to qualify for a World Championships 3000 mSC final in 20 years, was 14th in 8:24.77. Olympic and defending World champion Soufiane El Bakkali was unstoppable again, winning in 8:03.53.

Flawless in the men's high jump qualifying round, Ryoichi Akamatsu struggled to get into his rhythm in the final. After making 2.20 m and 2.25 on his first attempt, Akamatsu ran into a wall at 2.29 m. Missing all three attempts, he was 8th overall. Co-Olympic gold medalist Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy solidified his credentials with another gold, clearing 2.36 m.

Prior to these World Championships only one Japanese man had ever gone under 45 seconds in the 400 m, way back in 1991. In the heats Kentaro Sato and Fuga Sato both joined that short list, Kentaro with a 44.77 NR and Fuga in 44.97. In the semifinals both did it again, running 44.99 for 5th in SF1 and Fuga another PB of 44.88 for 4th in SF2. Joseph Nakajima was keen in to get in on the action too, running an all-time Japanese #5 PB of 45.04 for 3rd in SF3. All three came up short of making the final, but they did show that they are going to be legit threats in the 4x400 m relay.

All three Japanese women in the women's 100 m hurdles heats have run under 12.90, so in theory at least the 12.92 cutoff for SF time qualifiers should have been in reach. But none of them was able to perform up to potential. The least experienced of the three, Yumi Tanaka had the fastest run at 13.12 +0.4 m/s for 7th in Heat 5. Former NR holder Asuka Terada ran 13.15 +0.1 m/s for 6th in Heat 2, with Asian Championships bronze medalist Masumi Aoki running only 13.26 +0.1 m/s for 8th in Heat 1.


© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Labels:

Comments

Stefan said…
Ryuji Miura was outstanding yet again. He consistently performs at a very high level whenever I see him at a championship or significant event. Kudos to him for a great run when it counted.

August 23, 2023 at 5:09 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...
1 comment
Read more

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...
1 comment
Read more