japan running news

by Brett Larner Day Two of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials was bracketed by two classic performances, one an Olympic-qualifying national record and the other an unforgettable duel between a World Championships medalist and the best of the next generation.  Five athletes altogether met the Federation's requirement of a win and an Olympic A-standard mark to secure their places on the London team, while another half-dozen stand a good chance of joining them. The national record came without warning in the women's pole vault, where Tomomi Abiko  (Shiga Lake Stars AC) executed a large PB to unexpectedly clear 4.40 m, a new NR by 4 cm and the first-ever Japanese woman's mark hitting the Olympic B-standard.  Abiko was short of the A-standard mark, but with no other Japanese woman qualified for the Olympics in the pole vault it is hard to see her staying home.  Less certain is the fate of women's 100 mH champion Ayako Kimura  (Team Edion), who like Abiko only holds...

Click here to enter JRN's World Championships marathon prediction contest for a chance to win a 2009 Japanese national team singlet. by Brett Larner Double 1500 m and 5000 m national champion Yuichiro Ueno ran according to his reputation today in the men's 5000 m heats at the 2009 World Championships . With one of the slowest PBs in the field, 13:21.49, Ueno took a cue from women's 5000 m champion Yurika Nakamura and went out the way he needed to in order to stand a chance of making the final - bang on a steady 2:40 pace. In Nakamura's case the field responded and went with her, but for Ueno he was left alone as the field relaxed and trailed a few seconds behind. On the strength of his recent performances Ueno should easily have been able to sustain the pace, but after only 1 km he abruptly slowed and was helpless as the field, which maintained its pace of around 2:43/km, breezed past. Virtually flailing, Ueno finished dead last in 14:30.76 versus winner Kenenisa Bekel...

by Brett Larner The field events at the 2009 Japanese National Track and Field Championships begin at 1:00 p.m. on June 25 with the women's high jump. With one exception Japan is not really known for its strength in field events, but nevertheless a fair number of athletes stand a chance of making the national team for this summer's World Championships in Berlin. To be guaranteed a place on the team athletes must hold a World Championships A or B standard mark and win their event at Nationals, and in the majority of the field events there is at least one contender. Japan's strongest field athlete is of course its two-time Olympic medalist in the men's hammer throw , the half-Japanese Koji Murofushi (Team Mizuno). Murofushi will be making his 15th straight National Championships appearance and on the strength of his medal-winning performance at last summer's Beijing Olympics he is in all likelihood already assured a spot on the team. His nearest competitor Hiroaki Do...

by Brett Larner The 2009 Japanese National Track and Field Championships take place June 25-28 in Hiroshima. Winning athletes who hold a World Championships A or B qualifying mark will be automatically selected for the national team Japan will send to Berlin in August. Listed below are the top entrants in each event and the date and time of the finals. Athletes in red possess a valid World Championships A-standard, those in black a valid B-standard, and those in white have yet to qualify. Color marks in the PB column indicate whether the athlete has at some point in his or her career met the World Championships standards. Click on each list for a larger version. Click here for track event entry lists, here for complete entry lists in Japanese, or here for a complete timetable in Japanese. June 25, 10:00 a.m. - Men's Decathlon 100 m June 25, 11:00 a.m. - Men's Decathlon Long Jump June 25, 1:00 p.m. - Women's High Jump June 25, 1:00 p.m. - Men's Discus Throw June 25,...