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Showing posts from June, 2024

16-yr-Old Rin Kubo Runs U18 NR to Win Women's 800 m - Japanese Olympic Trials Day Four

  Off and on rain throughout the day, sometimes heavy, impacted a lot of events on the last day of Japan's National Track and Field Championships , U20 National Championships, and Olympic trials, but at least 6 of the 12 finals saw people seal up places at the Paris Olympics, and one saw a new youth record by its winner. Complete results here . Men's 100 m Final   -0.2 m/s Fastest in the semifinals, Ryuichiro Sakai  did it again in the final to add the 2024 national title to his 2023 win in 10.13 (-0.2). Akihiro Higashida  and Hiroki Yanagita  went a close 2-3 in 10.14, both of them pretty much guaranteeing that they'll be on the Paris team with Abdul Hakim Sani Brown , who sat Nationals out after running the Olympic standard earlier this season. Former NR holder Yoshihide Kiryu  took 5th in 10.20 and will only have a shot at being in Paris as a relay alternate. 1. Ryuichiro Sakai (Osaka Gas) - 10.13 2. Akihiro Higashida (Sekisho) - 10.14 3. Hiroki Yanagita...

Japanese Olympic Trials Day Four Preview

Japan's Olympic trials, National Track and Field Championships and National U20 Championships , wrap up Sunday in Niigata at Denka Big Swan Stadium. Light rain is forecast in the afternoon and evening, ut with 7 new National Championships meet records and an U20 national record so far, there's a good chance of one outright national record, maybe two, on the last day of the meet.  Live results will be here . The final schedule: Women's Shot Put Final  14:45 Already having made a comeback in her main event with a win in the women's discus throw, local  Nanaka Kori  will be going for a repeat on her 2023 national title in the shot put. She's the only woman over 16 m this season, and one of only two in the field to have ever done it, along with #3-ranked Fumiko Ono . Nanaka Kori (Niigata Albirex RC) - 16.19 m SB / 16.57 m PB Honoka Oyama (Imamura Byoin) - 15.75 m SB / 15.78 m PB Fumika Ono (Tsukuba Univ.) - 15.74 m SB / 16.37 m PB Haruka Osako (Somay-Q) - 15.28 m SB / P...

17-yr-old Ochiai 1:45.82 U20 NR - Japanese Olympic Trials Day Three

  Following yesterday's five new Japanese National Track and Field Championships meet records, two more meet records fell on day three, both less than 0.1 off the national records and one an incredible new U20 NR. Complete results here . Finals Women's 5000 m Final Wakana Kabasawa and Rina Kusu both had a shot at making the Paris Olympics if they finished 2nd behind NR holder Nozomi Tanaka in the low 15:20s, but when the race set off at a jog their chances were pretty much gone after the first lap. Having tuned up in the 800 m heats, Tanaka eventually pulled away for the win in 15:23.72, ensuring that she'll double in Paris. Currently 36th of 42 in the Paris quota, Yuma Yamamoto made enough of a comeback from injury to take 2nd in 15:34.64 a few steps ahead of teammate Chikako Mori , pretty much guaranteeing Yamamoto will be in Paris too. But Kusu and Kabasawa were only 6th and 9th, neither clearing even 15:40. With Ririka Hironaka injured it looks likely Japan will o...

Japanese Olympic Trials Day Three Preview

Japan's Olympic trials, National Championships and National U20 Championships , continue Saturday in Niigata at Denka Big Swan Stadium. Live results will be here . The schedule: Finals Men's Discus Throw Final 12:15 No Japanese men are in range of making the Olympic team, so this is strictly a national-level competition with last year's winner Yuji Tsutsumi looking to hold off Shinichi Yukinaga and Masateru Yugami to repeat. Only Yukinaga has thrown over 60 m this season, and his 62.52 puts him only 7 cm behind Tsutsumi's career best. Shinichi Yukinaga (Shikoku Univ. AC) - 62.52 m SB / PB Masateru Yugami (Toyota) - 59.31 m SB / 62.16 m PB Yuji Tsutsumi (Alsok) - 59.07 m SB / 62.59 m PB Hiroki Kitahara (Niigata Iryo Fukushi Univ.) - 57.24 m SB / PB Kosei Yamashita (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 55.68 m SB / PB Koshiro Fujiwara (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 55.32 SB / PB Men's Pole Vault Final  14:50 Likewise in the men's pole vault, Paris is out of range. It's a p...

Five New Championship Records at Japanese Olympic Trials Day Two

Great conditions on the second day of Japan's National Track and Field Championships , U20 National Championships and Paris Olympics trials helped athletes set new National Championship meet records in the women's pole vault, men's 400 mH, men's and women's 1500 m, and men's 5000 m, with three of the five record setters and guaranteeing themselves places on the Paris Olympics team. Complete results here . Women's Pole Vault Final National record holder Misaki Morota cleared her minimum goal, the win in 4.31 m to score enough points to move from 33rd to 32nd in the 32-deep Paris Olympic quota. Morota took two attempts to get over 4.30 m, but on her first try at a Japanese National Championships meet record 4.41 m she got it done. That gave her enough points to move to 30th, but it would take clearing 4.50, 2 cm higher than Morota's NR, to move to 29th. That proved to be out of range, leaving Morota in good position but still waiting to see the outcome of...

Japanese Olympic Trials Day Two Preview

Japan's Olympic trials,  National Championships and National U20 Championships , continue Friday in Niigata at Denka Big Swan Stadium. Live results will be here . What's on the menu: Finals Women's Discus Throw Final - 14:00 2023 national champion Maki Saito is at 45th in the Paris rankings, and even a win around her 58.47 PB from March wouldn't crack the top 40. NR holder Nanaka Kori has been off more than on this season and has only thrown over 57 m three times. The win will pretty much come down to the two of them. Maki Saito (Tokai Univ.) - 58.47 m SB / PB Nanaka Kori (Niigata Albirex RC) - 57.85 m SB / 59.03 m PB Minori Tsujikawa (Uchida Yoko AC) - 53.84 m SB / 54.46 m PB Akane Kawaguchi (Wizas) - 52.03 m SB / 54.05 m PB Mika Yamamoto (Kondotech) - 50.06 m SB / 50.51 m PB Natsumi Fujimori (STAC) - 49.53 m SB / 52.97 m PB Women's Pole Vault Final - 17:00 Coming in off a trio of good performances in Canada, NR holder Misaki Morota currently sits at 33rd in t...