Wanjiru Silver, Yanagita Bronze - World University Games Day 1-2 Japanese Results

The 2025 FISU World University Games started Monday in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. In the Games' first final, the women's 10000 m, Daito Bunka University's Sarah Wanjiru of Kenya shaved just over 6 seconds off her PB with a 31:41.80, but it wasn't enough for gold as Slovenian 5000 m and road 5 km and 10 km NR holder Klara Lukan dropped a 31:25.84 Games record and PB for the win. In the race for bronze Spain's Alicia Berzosa Martin outran Meijo University 1st-year Mei Hosomi by a second, 32:00.72 to 32:01.91. Ayaka Maeda (Kansai Univ.) and Wakana Hashimoto (Meijo Univ.) were far back in the field, Maeda running 33:13.83 for 15th and Hashimoto 33:49.84 for 19th. The 18-year-old Hosomi's time was good enough to crack the all-time Japanese U20 top 10 and put her 2nd in the world this year on the U20 lists.

In qualifying rounds on the opening day, Shota Fuchigami (Waseda Univ.) and Ryosuke Takahashi (Hosei Univ.) took the top 2 spots in the men's 400 mH heats, Fuchigami running 50.16 and Takahashi 50.20. Toyo University teammates Hiroki Yanagita and Riku Oishi both won their men's 100 m heats, Yanagita in 10.39 (-0.8) and Oishi in 10.40 (-1.3). The lone Japanese man in the 400 m, Toyo's Kira Hirakawa also made it through with a 46.55 for the top spot in Heat 1.

The only Japanese woman in the 100 m, Yume Okuno (Konan Univ.) took 2nd in Heat 2 in 11.82 (+0.1) to move on to the semifinals. Neither Japanese woman in the long jump made it through the qualifying round, Miu Kimura (Shikoku Univ.) 9 cm out of the top 12 at 6.03 m (-0.9) and Mizuki Otsu (Nippon Joshi Taiiku Univ.) jumping only 5.87 m (-0.8).

In the men's 100 m semifinals on Tuesday, Yanagita won SF1 in 10.25 (-0.7), with Oishi 2nd in Heat 2 in 10.39 (-0.2) behind Thailand's Puripol Boonson, fastest in the semis in 10.24 (-0.2). In the final the fast-starting Yanagita was run down by South African Bayanda Joy Walaza, gold medalist in 10.16 (09.7). Boonson came from behind to just edge Yanagita for silver, 10.22 to 10.23, with Oishi unable to build momentum from the first 2 rounds at 10.44 for 6th. Okuno didn't advance through the women's 100 m semifinals, 6th in SF2 in 11.99 (-0.8). Fuchigami and Takahashi had better luck in the men7s 400 mH semis, both clocking 49.95 to move on to the final, and likewise for Hirakawa in the men's 400 m semis with a 46.18 to make the final.

In Day 2 qualifying action, Miku Takino (Ritsumeikan Univ.) made the women's 400 mH hurdles semifinals, running 57.21 for 4th in Heat 3. Sota Haraguchi (Juntendo Univ.) and Shun Yamanaka (Kyoto Univ.) both cleared 2.13 m to make the men's high jump final. No luck for Japanese middle distance, though. In the men's 1500 m heats Hinata Maeda (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) ran 3:47.19 for 6th in Heat 2 and Kiyoto Ono (Juntendo Univ.) 3:47.27 for 6th in Heat 1, neither making the final cut of 12. Yuri Nishida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) didn't make it through the first round of the women's 800 m either, taking 6th in Heat 4 in 2:07.02.

The FISU World University Games continue through Sunday.

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges. Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...

Chisato Fukushima Selected as First Women`s 100 m Olympian in 56 Years

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080706-00000027-yom-spo http://www.47news.jp/CN/200807/CN2008070601000467.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On July 6 Rikuren announced that it has added women`s 100 m runner Chisato Fukushima (20, Hokkaido HiTec AC) to the Beijing Olympic team. Fukushima will become the first Japanese woman to compete in the Olympic 100 m since Ayako Yoshikawa ran in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Fukushima broke the Olympic B-standard of 11.42 with her national record-tying 11.36 mark at April`s Oda Memorial Meet. Although she won June`s National Track and Field Championships, Fukushima was not initially selected for the team as she did not meet the Olympic A-standard. In light of her victory at today`s Nambu Memorial Meet in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Rikuren reversed its decision and added her to the Olympic team lineup. Fukushima reacted to the news of her Beijing ticket by saying, "It hasn`t really hit me that it`s real yet. I would be honored to be the tri...

japan running news

Search This Blog