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Triple Gold to Wrap Asian U23 Championships - Day 4 Japanese Results


The first edition of the Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China wrapped with a trio of gold medals in distance events from Japanese athletes. Sotaro Osaka started it off in the men's half marathon race walk, winning an exciting race against China's Kaiyuan Yang by just 1 second, 1:26:11 to 1:26:12. Taisei Yoshizako was just over a minute back in bronze in 1:27:15, clear of 4th place by 7 minutes.

Kana Mizumoto kept the momentum going in the women's 10000 m, outrunning China's Yiting Yang by 18 seconds for gold in 33:24.87. In an extremely tactical men's 1500 m Takumi Shiobara and Ryo Higuchi replicated Osaka and Yoshizako's RW performance, Shiobara taking gold in 3:53.57 over Qatari Zakaria Elahlaami and Higuchi in bronze position in 3:54.55.


Airi Tajima added another bronze to the day's total in the women's 1500 m, 3rd in 4:21.09 behind Chinese duo Yuan Li and Shuqi Ye. The men's high jump is one of Japan's strongest events, but Sota Haraguchi and Daina Okamatsu were both off their best this time around, Haraguchi 4th at 2.10 m and Okamatsu 6th with a 2.05 m clearance. Gold medalist Amir Nagaev (Uzbekistan) cleared 2.16 m.

Altogether Japan won 7 gold medals, 8 silver and 7 bronze at the Asian U23 Athletics Championships, 2nd behind hosts China who picked up 22 gold, 17 silver and 12 bronze. Uzbekistan was 3rd with 5 gold and 4 silver.

1st Asian U23 Athletics Championships

Day 4 Japanese Results
Ordos, China, 12 July 2026

Women's 1500 m Final
1. Yuan Li (China) - 4:19.88
2. Shuqi Ye (China) - 4:20.15
3. Airi Tajima (Japan) - 4:21.09
-----
6. Mana Aiba (Japan) - 4:25.91

Men's 1500 m Final
1. Takumi Shiobara (Japan) - 3:53.57
2. Zakaria Elahlaami (Qatar) - 3:54.11
3. Ryo Higuchi (Japan) - 3:54.55

Women's 10000 m Final
1. Kana Mizumoto (Japan) - 33:24.87
2. Yiting Yang (China) - 33:42.54
3. Thi Tuyet Le (Vietnam) - 34:47.53

Men's Half Marathon Race Walk Final
1. Sotaro Osaka (Japan) - 1:26:11
2. Kaiyuan Yang (China) - 1:26:12
3. Taisei Yoshizako (Japan) - 1:27:15

Men's High Jump Final
1. Amir Nagaev (Uzbekistan) - 2.16 m
2. Chen Hu (China) - 2.13 m
3. Tzu Chieh Lu (Taiwan) - 2.13 m
-----
4. Sota Haraguchi (Japan) - 2.10 m
6. Daina Okamatsu (Japan) - 2.05 m

© 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Anonymous said…
I watched Airi Tajima's race and was hoping she would perform well given how well she did recently at the Hokuren Distance Challenge in the 3000m (Chitose, July 4) where she won her event in 9:04.24. It was a surprisingly slow time for her compared to her results so far this year so perhaps the conditions were tough being at altitude.

Very pleased with Kana Mizumoto's victory. She did what she needed to. It was a good win in a small field.
July 13, 2026 at 1:23 PM
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