japan running news

On Mar. 26 a JAAF official indicated that the Seiko Golden Grand Prix track and field meet scheduled for May 10 at the new Tokyo Olympic Stadium is set to be postponed as a result of the spread of the novel coronavirus. Citing the worldwide spread of the virus, the official said that the absence of the possibility of international athletes competing was a factor in the decision. The new date for the meet will be set pending the virus situation stabilizing and the fixing of the new schedule for the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games. The Seiko Golden Grand Prix meet was awarded World Athletics' highest ranking in its new Continental Tour series, gold. The Continental Tour ranks second only to the Diamond League, with athletes earning prize money and world rankings points that impact their eligibility for the Tokyo Olympics. Along with postponing the Seiko Golden Grand Prix, the JAAF is planning to postpone two other events at the new Olympic Stadium, the May 5-6 Olympic test event a...

http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20140723-OHT1T50329.html translated by Brett Larner On July 23 it was announced that London Olympics sprinter Ryota Yamagata (22, Keio Univ.) will join Seiko Holdings Corporation and be based in California, U.S.A.  Yamagata's decision was a big one, made in anticipation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Turning down offers from many top corporate league teams, he entered into a sponsorship agreement with Seiko Holdings, manufacturers of watches and other precision mechanical equipment. Seiko does not currently have a track and field team, but Yamagata intends to move to California by himself following his graduation next spring and as part of his agreement with Seiko, at his own request he will be responsible for choosing his coach, trainer, training location and environment himself.  "Maybe I could have gotten the best support somewhere else, but I want to open up new ways of doing things," he commented.  Having developed his trai...