16-yr-Old Shimizu Hits 100 m World Championships Standard to Lead 17 New Records at High School Nationals
Japan's National High School Championships took place this weekend in Hiroshima and produced record-breaking performances across events despite hot conditions.
Across the first two days of the Championships Kiichi Miyashita (3rd yr., Shiritsu Funabashi H.S.) set new high school and meet records in the boys' heptathlon with a final score of 6325 that far surpassed the old record of 6264. Miyashita's strongest events were the sprints, where he ran 10.79 (+1.2) in the 100 m and 48.08 in the 400 m, with his weakest events being the shot put, 12.91 m, and high jump, 1.86 m.
Felix Muthiani (3rd yr., Yamanashi Gakuin H.S.) set a meet record 3:39.20 to win the boys' 1500 m, holding off Haruki Niizuma (3rd yr., Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) to 2nd in 3:40.83. Muthiani's record was a data point in favor of speculation by Saku Chosei H.S. head coach Masaru Takamizawa last summer that the new restriction of non-Japanese athletes to the shortest stage at the National High School Ekiden, 3.0 km, would lead to raising the level of high school middle distance. Niizuma bounced back in the 5000 m on Day 3, running 13:50.05 to become the first Japanese athlete to win the boys' 5000 m in 32 years.
In the biggest news of the meet, 16-year-old Sorato Shimizu (2nd yr., Seiryo H.S.) exploded onto the scene on the second day of the meet with a 10.00 (+1.7) win in the boys' 100 m. That set new U20, U18, high school and meet records, bettering the 10.01 high school record that made Yoshihide Kiryu a household name in 2013, and was the fastest U18 mark and 2nd-best U20 mark worldwide so far this year. It also hit the qualifying standard for September's Tokyo World Championships, making it almost for sure that Shimizu will be added to the team.
At the National Championships earlier this month Shimizu only made the semifinals, but at the moment the only other Japanese man to have run the 10.00 standard is Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, injured at Nationals and eliminated in the heats. Asian champion Hiroki Yanagita is near the top of the point qualifiers in the quota and sure to make the team even though he false started in his heat at Nationals and was DQd. National champion Kiryu is the next-ranked Japanese man in the Road to Tokyo rankings, but currently sits 8 points outside the quota. So, as of this writing Shimizu looks to be a lock for the team barring more people hitting the standard before Aug. 24. In the interim, he also doubled in the 200 m on Day 4, winning easily in 20.39 (+2.7).
Har Balogun (2nd yr., Ichikawa H.S.) set a new meet record in the girls' 400 m, running 53.07. Saki Imamine (3rd yr., Saibi H.S.) and Utano Matsui (3rd yr., Shigaku Kagawa Nishi H.S.) both made it under 54 seconds too, Imamine running 53.74 and Matsui 53.82.
Day 3 kicked off with a new meet record in the girls' long jump. Yuhi Narisawa (3rd yr., Kyoai H.S.) was the class of the field, leading off with a 6.20 m (+1.2) that was better the best jump by 2nd-place Nana Ishihara (2nd yr., Hakuoh Ashikaga H.S.), 6.17 m (+3.2). On her 3rd attempt Narisawa jumped 6.40 m (+1.8), setting a new meet record and just 4 cm off the high school record.
The boys' 400 mH produced big results too. Top 2 Taiju Goto (1st yr., Rakunan H.S.) and Shunta Ieiri (3rd yr., Higashi Fukuoka H.S.) both broke the meet record, Goto clocking 49.84 and Ieiri 49.98. In Goto's case that was also a new U18 national record, like Shimizu in the 100 m a world-leading U18 mark so far this year, and 3rd on the U20 lists worldwide.
Ina Gakuen Sogo H.S. set a new meet record in the girls' 4x100 m, winning in 45.17. Rakunan H.S. duplicated that with a boys' 4x100 m meet record of 39.49 that came just 0.15 short of its own high school record.
After tuning up with a 3rd-place finish in 4:11.38 in the girls' 1500 m on Day 2, national record holder Rin Kubo (3rd yr., Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S.) became the first 3-time winner of the girls' 800 m, taking it by over 2 seconds in 2:02.34. Based on her current ranking of 41st in the quota Kubo looks sure to make Japan's team for the Tokyo World Championships.
Day 5 saw Nana Ishihara (2nd yr., Hakuoh Ashikaga H.S.) come back from her 2nd-place finish in the long jump on Day 3 with a new high school and meet record 13.30 (+1.3) for the win in the girls' 100 mH. The boys' 4x400 m wrapped the meet up in style, with both Rakunan H.S. and Soyo H.S. going under the high school and meet records. Rakunan added to its 4x100 m title with a record-breaking 3:07.25 for the win, with Soyo 2nd in a quality 3:07.40.
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments
I managed to watch the 4x100 and sadly I couldn't find the timing of his split but he was dead last at the last 100 and caught up with the pack at double speed. Would have been interesting to know what he ran there since it was hard to judge with the other runners not being super competitive there.
I don't think Sani Brown can be placed on the 4x100 at the world championships, it was absolute madness having him running the nationals while injured in a season when he can barely crack 10.5. Other than having to be there (at the nationals i mean) because of sponsors I can't find other reasons for that.
Shimizu is suddenly in the picture, I wonder if he can run the first section. Naoki Inoue ran well in the last 100 at the world relays. Other than these 2 I think the other priority candidates for the 4x100 should be Yanagita, Nishioka, Kiryu and Uzawa.
Let's see what this kid does this coming month and if he can confirm himself, exciting times ahead.
Sub-9 for Nodoka Ashida, 8:59.45 - 7th on the all-time HS list - and 2nd-year Yui Onotora ran 9:07.1.