Day 4 of the Tokyo World Athletics Championships had a relatively small number of Japanese athletes in action, but it was highlighted by another great run in the men's 400 m from new NR holder Yuki Joseph Nakajima.
800 m NR holder Ko Ochiai, who made Worlds on a host country slot, bowed out in the first round with a 1:46.78 for 7th in Heat 5, putting him at 45th of 63 finishers overall. Neither member of the women's triple jump squad advanced either, Maoko Takashima 13th in qualification group A at 13.86 m (-0.3) and Mariko Morimoto 17th in group B and last overall at 13.10 m (+0.5).
Ryoichi Akamatsu added to Japan's top 8 placing count, taking 8th in the men's high jump final at 2.24 m. Yuto Seko was 10th, clearing only 2.20 m after having hit the 2.33 m qualifying standard in late August. Olympic champ Hamish Kerr of New Zealand won a great duel against Korean Sanghyeok Woo, 2.36 m to 2.34 m. Czech Jan Stefela won bronze at 2.31 m.
In the men's 110 m hurdles semifinals, NR holder Rachid Muratake made the final with a 13.17 for 2nd in SF3. Shusei Nomoto narrowly missed out, 3rd in SF1 in 13.30, while Shunsuke Izumiya was a DNF also in SF1. Hopes were high that Muratake would turn in a medal-winning performance later in the evening, but in the final he was 5thin 13.18, 0.06 out of bronze. American Cordell Tinch scored the gold medal in 12.99, with Jamaicans Orlando Bennett and Tyler Mason going 2-3 in 13.08 and 13.12.
Following his 44.44 NR in the first-round heats, Yuki Joseph Nakajima ran a stunning last 100 m to take 2nd in 44.53 and make the final, moving up from the back of the field to 2nd. Maurten's Japanese distributor went to great lengths to get Nakajima bicarb in time for the race, and the results were pretty clear.
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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