Ochiai, Nakatani and Yoshida Get Japan on the Board - Lima World U20 Championships Day Four Japanese Results

Japan finally got on the medal board with a silver medal from Rikuya Yoshida and a pair of bronzes from Ko Ochiai and Kaisei Nakatani on the fourth day of the Lima World U20 Championships. Yoshida was up first in the men's pole vault, where he cleared a PB 5.40 m on his first attempt, good for silver behind German Hendrik Muller who made 5.45 m. Czech Jan Krcek also PBd at 5.30 m for bronze, with Ryota Murakoso 4th at 5.20 m.

After squeezing through the men's 800 m semifinals by 0.02, NR holder Ochiai started strong in the final, 2nd through 200 m in 25.13 and 4th at 400 m in 52.19, almost dead even with his NR last month. By 600 m he dropped to 6th, but over the final 200 m he ran down Kenyans Kelvin Kimutai Koech and Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech and Qatari Hatim Ait Oulghazi to take bronze in 1:47.03 behind Ethiopian General Berhanu Ayansa and Australian Peyton Craig. Ochiai's closing split of 27.33 was actually faster than Ayana's 27.53 and Craig's 27.46, but they were just too far out of range.

Nakatani followed that up with a 2.19 m clearance on his first attempt in the men's high jump, one of only three men to make it over that height. In the qualifying round Nakatani had cleared 2.21 m, but in the final he couldn't make it work and was stopped at 2.19 m. American Scottie Vines went over 2.21 m on his first try and went as far as 2.25 m to take gold. Italy's Matteo Sioli took three attempts before he cleared 2.21 m and did it again for 2.23 m, but 2.25 m was too much and he had to be content with silver.

Both the men's and women's 10000 m race walks were high-level, with all medalists delivering world leading times, championship records and/or national records and almost everyone in both fields turning in PBs. Sotaro Osaka was only 8 seconds out of bronze in the men's race, taking a strong 5th with a 39:39.36 PB. Taisei Yoshizako turned in a PB too, clocking 40:14.67 for 8th. Both Japanese women, Suzuka Kuge and Suzu Okuno, also PBd, Kuge taking 14th in 46:38.20 and Okuno 16th in 46:51.77.

After leading the field in the heats and semifinals, women's 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo couldn't quite put it together in the final. 5th through 600 m, Kubo dropped to 6th right before the line, finishing in 2:03.31. Medalists Sarah Moraa, Claudia Hollingsworth and Sophia Gorriaran all ran in the 2:00-2:01, times Kubo ran twice this summer, but as an international debut at age 16 her performance still suggested there's more to come.

Takuto Tsuchiya scored another top 8 placing for Japan in the men's long jump final at 7.56 m (+1.1), 24 cm from bronze medalist Temoso Masikane of South Africa. Eito Omori was 10th at 7.32 m (+1.4). In the women's 3000 m final Miu Suzuki had a tough time, finishing 15th of 16th starters in 9:41.15.

In qualifying rounds:

Both Kairi Gonda and Kyo Kikuta were eliminated in the men's 400 mH semifinals, Kikuta 3rd in SF 1 in 51.04 and Gonda 3rd in SF 3 in 51.80.
The men's 4x400 m relay team of Ryota Oishi, Kentaro Shirahata, Gonda and Kikuta ran a season best 3:07.04 for 2nd behind the U.S.A. among qualifiers for the final.
No luck for the men's 4x100 m relay team of Fukuto Komuro, Kei Wakana, Katsuki Sato and Naoki Nishioka though, as they were disqualified after a missed exchange in their qualifying heat.

The Lima World U20 Championships continue through Saturday. Complete schedule and results here.

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