japan running news

On Sept. 6 it was learned that Kyocera women's corporate team head coach Atsushi Sato , 42 had submitted his resignation from his position and the company on Aug. 31. In an interview with the Fukushima Minyu newspaper Sato commented, "I couldn't produce the results that the company was looking for. The team was improving bit by bit, so it's very unfortunate." His assistant coach and wife Miho Sato has also left the Kyocera organization. The couple's future plans are undecided. A graduate of Aizu H.S. and Waseda University and the former half marathon national record holder, Atsushi became head coach at Kyocera in April, 2014. Miho, the women's 800 m national record holder, joined at the same time to form a highly anticipated coaching duo with Olympic experience on both sides. Starting with only two members, the pair built a quality roster that included 2019 Doha World Championships 10000 m runner Minami Yamanouch i and the top Japanese finisher at the...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140202-00000067-jij-spo http://373news.com/modules/pickup/index.php?storyid=54493 translated and edited by Brett Larner Having retired in December, 2009 World Championships marathon 6th-placer and half marathon national record holder Atsushi Sato  (35, Team Chugoku Denryoku) announced Feb. 2 that he will become head coach of the Kyocera  corporate women's team this spring.  Sato is the all-time fourth-fastest Japanese marathoner, with a best of 2:07:13, and ran the 2008 Beijing Olympics marathon.  He retired last year following December's Fukuoka International Marathon.  For some time he has been on leave from the Chugoku Denryoku company, training and working to develop local athletics in his native Fukushima.  Previous Kyocera head coach Yasunori Niihara  passed away on Dec. 20 due to an illness. Also announced was that Sato's wife, 800 m national record holder and Olympian Miho Sato , will join the team's s...

http://www.minyu-net.com/sport/sport/0502/sport2.html translated by Brett Larner On leave from the Hiroshima-based Chugoku Denryoku company team, this month half marathon national record holder and Beijing Olympian Atsushi Sato , 34, marks two years since relocating his training base back to his native Fukushima.  "I want to do my part in helping rebuild Fukushima," he said of his move back to his hometown of Aizubange-machi.  For the last year Sato has been busy, coaching training sessions and giving lectures for local athletes, studying as a research fellow at Fukushima University, and getting coaching advice from Fukushima University head coach Kazuhisa Kawamoto . Last November Sato finished 3rd at the Osaka Marathon, but after developing problems with his right leg he was unable to race at 100% and missed his goal of making this year's World Championships marathon team.  He is now focused on being ready to race December's Fukuoka International Marathon. As...

http://www.sankei-kansai.com/2009/03/26/20090326-007928.php http://www.47news.jp/CN/200903/CN2009032601001091.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Kunio Omori, 64, head coach of women's jitsugyodan powerhouse Team Kyocera, announced on Mar. 26 that he is leaving the team at the end of the month along with 2005 and 2007 World Championships marathoner Yumiko Hara and 2009 Nagoya International Women's Marathon 5th place finisher Kiyomi Ogawa. The trio's future plans are as yet uncertain, but they intend to look for a new sponsor and to continue on in athletics. Omori has been head coach of Team Kyocera since 1998, coaching team member Miho Sato (nee Sugimori) to the women's 800 m national record and on to the Athens Olympics. Prior to that he was head coach of Saitama Sakae High School where he lead the women's team to three straight National High School Ekiden Championship titles beginning in 1995. Omori commented, "After eleven years as head of Team Kyo...

by Brett Larner The 2008 Golden Games in Nobeoka track meet took place May 31. The meet acts as a kind of championship for professional jitsugyodan runners in the leadup to the National Championships in late June and is somewhat unusual in that it features a limited number events, with only the 800, 1500 and 5000 m distances contested along with a 3000 m event for junior high school students. The 5000 m is the main event of the day, with 10 heats for men and 4 for women. Primarily featuring jitsugyodan runners with heavy representation by teams` foreign ringers, the meet also attracts the most ambitious of the nation`s university runners, those who want to run against the strongest competitors. The most impressive result of the day came in the women`s 800 m, where Team Natureal`s Miho Sato broke the meet record by over one second to win in 2:04.10. 2nd place finisher Ayako Jinnai of Saga University also broke the old meet record but was far behind Sato in 2:05.11. The men`s 1500 m also...