On Mar. 1 the organizers of the Mar. 10 Nagoya Women's Marathon announced that Ai Hosoda (28, Edion) has withdrawn due to a muscular injury on the inside of her left leg. Hosoda placed 3rd at last October's Paris Olympic marathon trials behind winner Yuka Suzuki and just 7 seconds back from 2nd-placer Mao Ichiyama to take a provisional spot on the Paris team. But at January's Osaka International Women's Marathon Honami Maeda ran a 2:18:59 national record to replace Hosoda on the team.
Nagoya is the last chance for Japanese women to make the team, which would require them to be the top Japanese finisher and beat Maeda's time. Hosoda's withdrawal means that her hopes of making the Paris Olympic team have now come to an end.
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