On July 21 the Uniqlo women's team announced that 2-time Olympic 10000 m runner Yuka Takashima had joined its lineup as of July 16. Born in Yamaguchi in 1998, Takashima anchored Okayama's Kojokan H.S. to its first-ever National High School Ekiden win in 2005. After graduating she joined the Denso corporate team, playing a key role in its 3-straight National Corporate Women's Ekiden titles. In 2015 she ran the 10000 m at the 2015 Beijing World Championships.
In the spring of 2016 Takashima transferred to the Shiseido corporate team, where she made the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics team in the 10000 m. She played an important role for the team in its ekidens, and in 2022 anchored Shiseido to its first national title in 16 years. In 2023 she was 2nd in the 10000 m National Championships, securing her place on her 2nd Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Takashima's PBs are 15:26.33 for 5000 m, 30:57.26 for 10000 m, and 2:26:13 for the marathon.
In March this year Takashima left Shiseido, saying on its social media, "I want to make the most of everything I've learned so far and make an immediate contribution to my new team."
The Uniqlo team was founded in 1997. It made its first National Championships in 2003, and last year finished on the podium for the second time with its best-ever placing, 6th. Earlier this season, Tokyo World Championships 10000 m 6th-placer Ririka Hironaka also transferred to Uniqlo from her longtime home at the Japan Post team. With former Shiseido head coach Tadaaki Aono also joining its ranks on June 1 as assistant coach, Uniqlo looks to be gearing up to try to score its first national title.
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translated by Brett Larner
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