Chisato Fukushima takes the 2009 Asian 100m title (© Jiro Mochizuki)
Chisato Fukushima broke her own national record in the 100m at the Oda Memorial in Hiroshima on Thursday (29) while John Thuo of Kenya clocked a world-leading 27:15.73 in the 10,000m at the Hyogo Relays in Kobe on Tuesday (25).
Oda Memorial -
The 44th Oda meet, named after Mikio Oda, the first Japanese Olympic gold medallist, was held in Hiroshima on April 29, a national holiday. Fukushima run 11.21 for 100m to break her own national 100m record of 11.24, which was recorded last June.
“My start in the heat was not very good, so I concentrated on the start in the final. I never thought I could set a national record today. It is nice to approach 11 seconds barrier slowly but surely,” Fukushima said.
Elsewhere, Daichi Sawano won the men’s Pole Vault with a 5.70m clearance. “It was good start for my season,” Sawano wrote on his blog.
Africans dominated both the men’s and women’s 5000m. In the men’s race, Bitan Karoki of Kenya led from start to finish and won the 5000m in 13:48.17, nearly 10 seconds ahead of second place Charles Ndirangu. The women’s 5000m was much more competitive. The race comes down to the last 1000m at which point the runners took turns in the front. At the end Betelhem Moges of Ethiopia and Denso won with 15:38.70 ahead of Felista Wanjugu of Kenya and Universal Entertainment and Flomena Cheyeche of Kenya and Uniqlo.
Asuka Terada, the national junior record holder, won the women’s 100m Hurdles in 13.25, while Tasuku Tanonaka, the 2009 Asian Champion, won 110m Hurdles in 13.79.
Hyogo Relays -
The 58th edition of Hyogo relays, well known for the 10,000m races, was held in Kobe on April 24 and 25. Two sections of men’s 10000m were held in the meet. The second and faster race was held on the 25th and Paul Tanui, who finished eighth at the World Cross Country Championships this year, led the race from the start and by 1400m, it turned into the race among three Kenyans. Tanui led to 5800m, at which point John Thuo took over. Tanui retook the lead after 7000m again to push the pace, but Josphat Ndambiri and Thuo stayed with him.
The race was decided in the final straight with Thuo prevailing in 27:15.73. Ndambiri of Kenya and Komori Corporation, who was fifth in 2007 World Championships, finished second less than a second behind, while Tanui finished third with 27:17.61, a personal best. The last 200m was covered in 27.7 seconds.
“The race was competitive, I did my best,” said Thuo. “Being my first track race of the season, I am happy, and will look forward to better competitions. As my goal for the season, I will try to run some international championships such as African Championships and the Commonwealth Games.”
The women’s 10,000m turned into a three woman race by 3600m. Five thousand metres later, Obare Doricah of Kenya and Hitachi was dropped leaving Kayoko Fukushi and Hikari Yoshimoto in front. Fukushi took off with 600m to go to win in 31:29.03, with Yoshimoto second in 31:30.92. Yoshimoto broke a 15-year-old collegiate record of 31:47.76 set back in 1995.
“It was the first 10,000m of my life, so I was just thinking about staying with the leaders,” Yoshimoto said. On the other hand, Fukushi said, “It was my plan to lead all the way. I was just hoping that I could drop everyone.”
Elsewhere, the World Championships bronze medallist Yukifumi Murakami won the Javelin with an 82.49m effort in Wakayama on Monday (24). Despite coming down with a fever of over 38 C, Murakami launched his longest throw ever on Japanese soil. After throwing in Osaka GP on 8 May and then at the National Championships in June, Murakami is planning to begin his European campaign.
Ken Nakamara assisted by Akihiro Onishi (Hyogo) and Tatsuya Yamada (Oda) for the IAAF
Leading results –
Hyogo Relays in Kobe on April 24
Men
10,000m - Asics Challenge
1) Nicholas Makau (KEN) 28:18.44
2) Keita Akiba 28:34.42
3) Akihiko Tsumurai 28:36.91
4) Tomohiro Shiya 28:40.76
5) Kazuteru Onishi 28:43.69
6) Kazuyoshi Shimozato 28:44.14
7) Norio Kamijyo 28:44.49
8) Shunsuke Nomura 28:51.36
Women
5000m Asics Challenge
1) Miho Notagashira 15:54.48
2) Shoko Mori 15:55.25
3) Yuka Takashima 15:57.41
4) Yuka Hakoyama 15:59.12
5) Miharu Shimokado 16:03.39
6) Kaori Oyama 16:11.69
Wakayama on April 24
Men
JT
1) Yukifumi Murakami 82.49m
2) Kazuki Yamamoto 75.55m
Hyogo relays in Kobe day 2 - April 25
1500m
1) Jonathan Ndiku (KEN) 3:42.70
2) Yuichiro Ueno 3:42.95
3) Fumikazu Kobayashi 3:43.22
5000m
high school race
1) Kazuto Nishiike 13:58.68
2) Shota Shinjyo 13:59.61
10000m
1) John Thuo (KEN) 27:15.73
2) Josphat Muchiri Ndambiri (KEN) 27:16.51
3) Paul Tanui (KEN) 27:17.61
4) Mekubo Job Mogusu (KEN) 28:11.45
5) Satoru Kitamura 28:19.01
6) Tsuyoshi Ugachi 28:21.58
7) Atsushi Ikawa 28:29.67
8) Yu Mitsuya 28:53.42
1000m 2:38 Paul Tanui
2000m 5:21 Paul Tanui
3000m 8:07 Paul Tanui
4000m 10:52 Paul Tanui
5000m 13:38 Paul Tanui
6000m 16:26 John Thuo
7000m 19:03 John Thuo
8000m 21:50 Paul Tanui
9000m 24:37 Paul Tanui
3000mSC
1) Tetsuya Sasaki 8:48.70
2) Minato Yamashita 8:50.77
3) Tatsunori Shinoura 8:51.53
DQ: Nahom Mesfin (crossed the finish line first, but later disqualified)
LJ
1) Yohei Sugai 8.00m (2m/s)
DT
1) Shigeo Hatakeyama 54.98m
Women
1500m
1) Yukari Nomura 4:20.57
10000m
1) Kayoko Fukushi 31:29.03
2) Hikari Yoshimoto 31:30.92 Collegiate Record
3) Obare Doricah (KEN) 31:37.07
4) Mai Ito 32:15.91
5) Noriko Matsuoka 32:18.90
6) Shino Saito 32:33.99
7) Noriko Higuchi 32:37.72
8) Hiroko Miyauchi 32:38.68
1000m 3:07 Fukushi
2000m 6:16 Fukushi
3000m 9:25 Fukushi
4000m 12:35 Fukushi
5000m 15:46 Fukushi
6000m 18:57 Fukushi
7000m 22:07 Fukushi
8000m 25:17 Fukushi
9000m 28:27 Fukushi
DT
1) Yuka Murofushi 53.32m
Wakayama on April 25
Men
HJ
1) Hikaru Tsuchiya 2.21m
2) Satoru Kubota 2.18m
SP
1) Yohei Murakawa 17.46m
2) Sotaro Yamada 17.43m
Decathlon
1) Keisuke Ushiro 7930 ( 11.27, 6.84, 13.41, 2.05, 50.61, 15.16, 45.36, 4.70, 69.49, 4:33.94)
Women
3000mSC
1) Etsuka Arai 10:07.11
3000m
1) Tomoka Inadomi 9:18.17
HT
1) Masumi Aya 62.14m
Oda meet in Hiroshima on April 29
Men
100m
Final -0.1m/s
1) Kota Sakuma 10.42
2) Yusuke Kotani 10.44
3) Ryo Motoshio 10.44
800m race 1
1) Aruto Anzai 1:53.96
2) Sunao Hattori 1:54.47
Race2
1) Masato Yokota 1:49:88
2) Hisato Suzuki 1:50:57
5000m
1) Bitan Karoki (KEN) 13:48.17
2) Charles Ndirangu (KEN) 13:58.15
3) Naoki Okamoto 14:04.70
400m 62
1000m 2:38
2000m 5:24
3000m 8:09
4000m 10:57
All Karoki.
110mH
Final
1) Tasuku Tanonaka 13.79
2) Yutaro Furukawa 13.89
3) Masato Naito 13.94
PV
1) Daichi Sawano 5.70m
2) Yang Yansheng (CHN) 5.60m
3) Hiroki Sasase 5.50m
TJ
1) Dong Bin (CHN) 16.37m (1.2m/s)
2) Kazuyoshi Ishikawa 16.35m (3.3m/s)
Women:
100m
Final 1.7m/s
1) Chisato Fukushima 11.21 National Record
2) Momoko Takahashi 11.35
3) Melissa Breen (AUS) 11.38
800m
Race 1
1) Miho Shingu 2:12.39
Race 2
1) Akari Kishikawa 2:07:53
2) Yukari Nomura 2:09:02
5000m
1) Betelhem Moges (ETH) 15:38.70
2) Felista Wanjugu (KEN) 15:39.78
3) Flomena Cheyeche (KEN) 15:40.12
4) Hitomi Niiya 15:42.20
5) Yuko Shimizu 15:42.46
6) Kaori Urata 15:43.04
7) Miho Notagashira 15:44.56
8) Risa Takenaka 15:48.41
400m 75 Moges
1000m 3:11 Wanjugu
2000m 6:20 Niiya
3000m 9:32 Niiya
4000m 12:43 Niiya
100mH
Final -0.2m/s
1) Asuka Terada 13.25
2) Mami Ishino 13.60
3) Rena Jyoshita 13.77
PV
1) Tomomi Abiko 4.10m
TJ
1) Liu Yunan (CHN) 13.76m (0.1m/s)
2) Fumiyo Yoshida 13.02m (-0.9m/s)
Oda Memorial -
The 44th Oda meet, named after Mikio Oda, the first Japanese Olympic gold medallist, was held in Hiroshima on April 29, a national holiday. Fukushima run 11.21 for 100m to break her own national 100m record of 11.24, which was recorded last June.
“My start in the heat was not very good, so I concentrated on the start in the final. I never thought I could set a national record today. It is nice to approach 11 seconds barrier slowly but surely,” Fukushima said.
Elsewhere, Daichi Sawano won the men’s Pole Vault with a 5.70m clearance. “It was good start for my season,” Sawano wrote on his blog.
Africans dominated both the men’s and women’s 5000m. In the men’s race, Bitan Karoki of Kenya led from start to finish and won the 5000m in 13:48.17, nearly 10 seconds ahead of second place Charles Ndirangu. The women’s 5000m was much more competitive. The race comes down to the last 1000m at which point the runners took turns in the front. At the end Betelhem Moges of Ethiopia and Denso won with 15:38.70 ahead of Felista Wanjugu of Kenya and Universal Entertainment and Flomena Cheyeche of Kenya and Uniqlo.
Asuka Terada, the national junior record holder, won the women’s 100m Hurdles in 13.25, while Tasuku Tanonaka, the 2009 Asian Champion, won 110m Hurdles in 13.79.
Hyogo Relays -
The 58th edition of Hyogo relays, well known for the 10,000m races, was held in Kobe on April 24 and 25. Two sections of men’s 10000m were held in the meet. The second and faster race was held on the 25th and Paul Tanui, who finished eighth at the World Cross Country Championships this year, led the race from the start and by 1400m, it turned into the race among three Kenyans. Tanui led to 5800m, at which point John Thuo took over. Tanui retook the lead after 7000m again to push the pace, but Josphat Ndambiri and Thuo stayed with him.
The race was decided in the final straight with Thuo prevailing in 27:15.73. Ndambiri of Kenya and Komori Corporation, who was fifth in 2007 World Championships, finished second less than a second behind, while Tanui finished third with 27:17.61, a personal best. The last 200m was covered in 27.7 seconds.
“The race was competitive, I did my best,” said Thuo. “Being my first track race of the season, I am happy, and will look forward to better competitions. As my goal for the season, I will try to run some international championships such as African Championships and the Commonwealth Games.”
The women’s 10,000m turned into a three woman race by 3600m. Five thousand metres later, Obare Doricah of Kenya and Hitachi was dropped leaving Kayoko Fukushi and Hikari Yoshimoto in front. Fukushi took off with 600m to go to win in 31:29.03, with Yoshimoto second in 31:30.92. Yoshimoto broke a 15-year-old collegiate record of 31:47.76 set back in 1995.
“It was the first 10,000m of my life, so I was just thinking about staying with the leaders,” Yoshimoto said. On the other hand, Fukushi said, “It was my plan to lead all the way. I was just hoping that I could drop everyone.”
Elsewhere, the World Championships bronze medallist Yukifumi Murakami won the Javelin with an 82.49m effort in Wakayama on Monday (24). Despite coming down with a fever of over 38 C, Murakami launched his longest throw ever on Japanese soil. After throwing in Osaka GP on 8 May and then at the National Championships in June, Murakami is planning to begin his European campaign.
Ken Nakamara assisted by Akihiro Onishi (Hyogo) and Tatsuya Yamada (Oda) for the IAAF
Leading results –
Hyogo Relays in Kobe on April 24
Men
10,000m - Asics Challenge
1) Nicholas Makau (KEN) 28:18.44
2) Keita Akiba 28:34.42
3) Akihiko Tsumurai 28:36.91
4) Tomohiro Shiya 28:40.76
5) Kazuteru Onishi 28:43.69
6) Kazuyoshi Shimozato 28:44.14
7) Norio Kamijyo 28:44.49
8) Shunsuke Nomura 28:51.36
Women
5000m Asics Challenge
1) Miho Notagashira 15:54.48
2) Shoko Mori 15:55.25
3) Yuka Takashima 15:57.41
4) Yuka Hakoyama 15:59.12
5) Miharu Shimokado 16:03.39
6) Kaori Oyama 16:11.69
Wakayama on April 24
Men
JT
1) Yukifumi Murakami 82.49m
2) Kazuki Yamamoto 75.55m
Hyogo relays in Kobe day 2 - April 25
1500m
1) Jonathan Ndiku (KEN) 3:42.70
2) Yuichiro Ueno 3:42.95
3) Fumikazu Kobayashi 3:43.22
5000m
high school race
1) Kazuto Nishiike 13:58.68
2) Shota Shinjyo 13:59.61
10000m
1) John Thuo (KEN) 27:15.73
2) Josphat Muchiri Ndambiri (KEN) 27:16.51
3) Paul Tanui (KEN) 27:17.61
4) Mekubo Job Mogusu (KEN) 28:11.45
5) Satoru Kitamura 28:19.01
6) Tsuyoshi Ugachi 28:21.58
7) Atsushi Ikawa 28:29.67
8) Yu Mitsuya 28:53.42
1000m 2:38 Paul Tanui
2000m 5:21 Paul Tanui
3000m 8:07 Paul Tanui
4000m 10:52 Paul Tanui
5000m 13:38 Paul Tanui
6000m 16:26 John Thuo
7000m 19:03 John Thuo
8000m 21:50 Paul Tanui
9000m 24:37 Paul Tanui
3000mSC
1) Tetsuya Sasaki 8:48.70
2) Minato Yamashita 8:50.77
3) Tatsunori Shinoura 8:51.53
DQ: Nahom Mesfin (crossed the finish line first, but later disqualified)
LJ
1) Yohei Sugai 8.00m (2m/s)
DT
1) Shigeo Hatakeyama 54.98m
Women
1500m
1) Yukari Nomura 4:20.57
10000m
1) Kayoko Fukushi 31:29.03
2) Hikari Yoshimoto 31:30.92 Collegiate Record
3) Obare Doricah (KEN) 31:37.07
4) Mai Ito 32:15.91
5) Noriko Matsuoka 32:18.90
6) Shino Saito 32:33.99
7) Noriko Higuchi 32:37.72
8) Hiroko Miyauchi 32:38.68
1000m 3:07 Fukushi
2000m 6:16 Fukushi
3000m 9:25 Fukushi
4000m 12:35 Fukushi
5000m 15:46 Fukushi
6000m 18:57 Fukushi
7000m 22:07 Fukushi
8000m 25:17 Fukushi
9000m 28:27 Fukushi
DT
1) Yuka Murofushi 53.32m
Wakayama on April 25
Men
HJ
1) Hikaru Tsuchiya 2.21m
2) Satoru Kubota 2.18m
SP
1) Yohei Murakawa 17.46m
2) Sotaro Yamada 17.43m
Decathlon
1) Keisuke Ushiro 7930 ( 11.27, 6.84, 13.41, 2.05, 50.61, 15.16, 45.36, 4.70, 69.49, 4:33.94)
Women
3000mSC
1) Etsuka Arai 10:07.11
3000m
1) Tomoka Inadomi 9:18.17
HT
1) Masumi Aya 62.14m
Oda meet in Hiroshima on April 29
Men
100m
Final -0.1m/s
1) Kota Sakuma 10.42
2) Yusuke Kotani 10.44
3) Ryo Motoshio 10.44
800m race 1
1) Aruto Anzai 1:53.96
2) Sunao Hattori 1:54.47
Race2
1) Masato Yokota 1:49:88
2) Hisato Suzuki 1:50:57
5000m
1) Bitan Karoki (KEN) 13:48.17
2) Charles Ndirangu (KEN) 13:58.15
3) Naoki Okamoto 14:04.70
400m 62
1000m 2:38
2000m 5:24
3000m 8:09
4000m 10:57
All Karoki.
110mH
Final
1) Tasuku Tanonaka 13.79
2) Yutaro Furukawa 13.89
3) Masato Naito 13.94
PV
1) Daichi Sawano 5.70m
2) Yang Yansheng (CHN) 5.60m
3) Hiroki Sasase 5.50m
TJ
1) Dong Bin (CHN) 16.37m (1.2m/s)
2) Kazuyoshi Ishikawa 16.35m (3.3m/s)
Women:
100m
Final 1.7m/s
1) Chisato Fukushima 11.21 National Record
2) Momoko Takahashi 11.35
3) Melissa Breen (AUS) 11.38
800m
Race 1
1) Miho Shingu 2:12.39
Race 2
1) Akari Kishikawa 2:07:53
2) Yukari Nomura 2:09:02
5000m
1) Betelhem Moges (ETH) 15:38.70
2) Felista Wanjugu (KEN) 15:39.78
3) Flomena Cheyeche (KEN) 15:40.12
4) Hitomi Niiya 15:42.20
5) Yuko Shimizu 15:42.46
6) Kaori Urata 15:43.04
7) Miho Notagashira 15:44.56
8) Risa Takenaka 15:48.41
400m 75 Moges
1000m 3:11 Wanjugu
2000m 6:20 Niiya
3000m 9:32 Niiya
4000m 12:43 Niiya
100mH
Final -0.2m/s
1) Asuka Terada 13.25
2) Mami Ishino 13.60
3) Rena Jyoshita 13.77
PV
1) Tomomi Abiko 4.10m
TJ
1) Liu Yunan (CHN) 13.76m (0.1m/s)
2) Fumiyo Yoshida 13.02m (-0.9m/s)