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.

Keita Sato Joins Swoosh TC

After appearing at a Nike event on Apr. 3, U20 1500 m NR and indoor 3000 m and 5000 m NR holder Keita Sato , 22, updated his Instagram profile to announce that he is joining Nike's Swoosh TC . At the Nike event Sato said that he plans to run the 1500 m at the Apr. 11 Kanaguri Memorial Meet, then will move to the U.S. "To be successful at the global level I need to train and grow alongside world-class athletes," he said. "I have to take every day seriously in order to achieve that dream of being internationally competitive." Swoosh TC was founded last year. Its coach Mike Smith has guided many athletes to international championships, including prior to Swoosh TC's launch, with some earning medals and podium finishes under his leadership. photo © 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved source article: https://www.rikujyokyogi.co.jp/archives/204241/2 translated by Brett Larner

Updates on Transfers

April 1 is the start of Japan's new academic and fiscal year, and there's always a wave of transfer announcements to go with it. Some notable ones yesterday: 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo skipped university to go straight to 2023 Queens Ekiden national champion Sekisui Kagaku after her graduation from Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. Multiple NR holder Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete. Already on the team for this fall's Nagoya Asian Games in the 10000 m, Ririka Hironaka announced a switch from her longtime home at Japan Post to the Uniqlo women's team. Collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda joined the 2026 national champion GMO corporate team after graduating from 2026 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University last week. Hakone Ekdien First Stage CR holder Rui Aoki joins the Sumitomo Denko corporate team after running his final race for 2025 Izumo Ekiden w...

Chien Breaks TPE NR, Iwata Betters ID-Class WR - Weekend Track Roundup

The last weekend of the academic and fiscal year saw at least 5 meets with good results domestically and abroad. Kicking things off Friday was the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, where Tomohiro Shinno and Naoto Hasegawa took 1st and 3rd in the men's high jump, both of them only clearing 2.18 m along with 2nd-placer Roman Anastasios . 12 other Japanese athletes were in action on the second day of the meet on Saturday, where 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura ran 3:42.84 for 6th in the men's 1500 m. Nagiya Mori had a better one in the men's 3000 m with a 7:45.40 for 4th. Both Yota Mashiko and Rui Suzuki cleared 8:00 too, Mashiko's 7:53.84 the 2nd-fastest ever by a Japanese-born high schooler. Abigail Fuka Ido and Nagisa Takahashi both placed 3rd in their events, Ido going 23.85 (-0.9) in the women's 200 m and Takahashi clearing 1.82 m in the women's high jump. 8 Japanese men were at The TEN in California to run 10000 m. In the B-heat won by Edward Marks in ...

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