24 men and 16 women team will represent Japan in the Beijing Olympic Games. The team includes two defending Olympic champions - Koji Murofushi in the Hammer Throw and Mizuki Noguchi in the women’s Marathon.

Murofushi, who was unbeatable in 2006, had problems in 2007 when he finished only sixth at the World Championships in Osaka, but this year, just in time for the Olympics, Murofushi is rounding into shape. He won the national championships for the 14th consecutive year with 80.98m. He competed two more times in July, throwing 81.87m on 21 July and 80.34m on 27 July. In Beijing he has one other point of business. Murofushi, a member of IAAF Athletes’ commission, is running for the IOC Athletes’ commission.

Noguchi, who recorded an Asian marathon record of 2:19:12 in the 2005 Berlin Marathon, won the 2007 Tokyo Women’s Marathon in 2:21:37. In the intervening four years, Noguchi improved her Half Marathon best to 1:07:43.

Other athletes who have a chance for a medal are marathon runners Tsuyoshi Ogata, Atsushi Sato, Satoshi Osaki for men and Yurika Nakamura and Reiko Tosa for women. Ogata won a bronze medal in the 2005 World Championships, while Tosa won silver in Edmonton in 2001 and bronze in Osaka. Sato was ninth in the 2007 World Road Running Championships with an Asian record, while Osaki was sixth in the World Championships in Osaka.

Yuki Yamazaki, a 50Km walker, set the national record of 3:41:55 in April. His time is the fourth best of the season among those who will be competing in Beijing. Yamazaki, who failed to finish the race in Osaka due to mis-direction (he was directed to go into the stadium prematurely) by officials, is ready to redeem himself in Beijing.

The men’s sprint relay team of Naoki Tsukahara, Nobuharu Asahara, Shinji Takahira and Shingo Suetsugu finished fifth in Osaka. They are looking to improve Japan’s best Olympic finish in the 4x100m Relay, fourth in the Athens Games. 

Dai Tamesue, two time World Championships bronze medalist, will be joined by Kenji Narisako in 400m Hurdles. Since their personal best are 47.89 and 47.93, respectively, if they are near their best, they can make the final.  

Ken Nakamura for the IAAF

Men -

100m, 4x100m Relay
Tsukahara, Naoki  
Asahara, Nobuharu

200m, 4x100m Relay  
Takahira, Shinji  
Suetsugu, Shingo  

400m, 4x400m Relay
Kanemaru, Yuzo  
Saito, Hitoshi  
Abiko Mitsuhiro   
Horigome, Yoshihiro  

Distance
Matsumiya, Takayuki   
Takezawa, Kensuke
 
3000mSC
Iwamizu, Yoshitaka  

Marathon
Sato, Atsushi 
Ogata, Tsuyoshi   
Osaki, Satoshi       

110mH
Naito, Masato   
 
400mH 
Tamesue, Dai  
Narisako, Kenji   

PV
Sawano, Daichi      

HJ
Daigo, Naoyuki  
　
HT
Murofushi, Koji  

JT
Murakami, Yukifumi

Walk 
Yamazaki, Yuki    
Morioka, Koichiro   
Tanii, Takayuki 

Women: 

100m
Fukushima, Chisato   

400m
Tanno, Asami   
4x400m Relay
Kida, Mayu

Distance
Kobayashi, Yuriko  
Fukushi, Kayoko   
Akaba, Yukiko   
Shibui, Yoko     
 
3000mSC
Hayakari, Minori

400mH
Kubokura, Satomi
4x400m Relay
Aoki, Sayaka 
   
Marathon  
Noguchi, Mizuki 
Tosa, Reiko      
Nakamura, Yurika 

LJ
Ikeda, Kumiko   

Walks
Kawasaki, Mayumi   
Konishi, Sachiko