K. Ken Nakamura for IAAF
The Japanese World Championships marathon team has been announced by the Japan AAF.
Following heavy criticism they received from the media and fans over the selection of the Olympic marathon team, the JAAF announced the criteria for the World Championships selection beforehand. For the marathon team, the criteria were:
1) The first Japanese men in Fukuoka, Beppu-Oita, Tokyo and Lake Biwa marathons would be selected automatically if they broke 2:10;
2) The first Japanese women in Tokyo Ladies, Osaka Ladies and Nagoya Women’s marathons would be selected automatically if they broke 2:26.
In accordance with these criteria, five runners were selected automatically immediately after the completion of the race.
They are: Atsushi Fujita who won the Fukuoka marathon in 2:06:51, Takayuki Nishida who won the Beppu-Oita marathon in 2:08:45, Yoko Shibui who won the Osaka Ladies marathon in 2:23:11, Shigeru Aburaya who was third (and the first Japanese) in the Lake Biwa marathon with 2:07:52, and Reiko Tosa who was second to Joyce Chepchumba with 2:24:47 in the Tokyo International Ladies marathon.
The committee selected additional runners. They are Yoshiteru Morishita who was fourth (the second Japanese) in the Lake Biwa marathon with 2:07:59, Ken-ichi Takahashi who won the Tokyo marathon, and Kazumi Matsuo, Takami Ominami and Yukiko Okamoto who were first (2:26:01), second (2:26:04) and third (2:26:21) respectively in the Nagoya International Women’s marathon.
The team consists of mostly young and upcoming runners. Here is a very brief marathon resume for each athlete. Look for longer bios in the IAAF Online in a few months time, just before Edmonton.
Men:
Atsushi Fujita: Fujita has run three marathons in his career. His marathon debut was at the 1999 Lake Biwa marathon, where he finished second to his hero Martin Fiz in 2:10:07. Fujita broke a collegiate marathon record held by legendary Toshihiko Seko. With this performance, he was selected for the marathon team for the World Championships in Sevilla. In Sevilla, Fujita despite injury finished sixth with 2:15:45. In his third marathon, in December of 2000, Fujita broke away from the reigning Olympic Champion, Gezehange Abera, at 35Km and won the Fukuoka marathon in an Asian record time of 2:06:51.
Takayuki Nishida: Takayuki Nishida won the 50th Beppu-Oita marathon in 2:08:45. For Nishida, it was his third marathon. In March of 1999, Nishida made his marathon debut at the Collegiate marathon championships in Sasayama, where he was second in 2:17:43. The following year, for the final race as a collegian, he ran his second marathon in the 2000 Lake Biwa marathon. Although he stayed with the leaders until 30Km, he finished a disappointing 13th in 2:13:46. Nishida is currently coached by Toshihiko Seko, a legendary marathon runner in the late 70’s to mid 80’s.
Shigeru Aburaya: Aburaya only ran two marathons in his career, but he is already the fifth fastest marathon runner in Japan. Although he was virtually ignored, Aburaya ran a very respectable 2:10:48 in his debut at the 2000 Lake Biwa marathon for the seventh place. A year later, in his second marathon, at the 2001 Lake Biwa marathon, Aburaya was third with 2:07:52.
Yoshiteru Morishita: A member of the marathon powerhouse Asahi Kasei track team, Morishita finally distinguished himself in the 1999 Beppu-Oita Marathon where he was second in 2:10:13. It was the fourth marathon for the 28 year old Morishita whose previous marathon best was only 2:14:44. He improved to 2:09:36 in his next marathon at the 1999 Fukuoka marathon. Then in the 2001 Lake Biwa marathon, he finished fourth in 2:07:59, thus joining an exclusive sub-2:08 club.
Ken-ichi Takahashi: Ken-ichi Takahashi, an Asian record holder at the half marathon - 1:00:30, is unbeatable in road races between 15Km and 30Km. However, he was unable to distinguish himself in either 10,000m or the marathon up until this year. His 10,000m best is only 28:11.18 and his marathon best was only 2:15:27 until the 2001 Tokyo marathon, where he won in 2:10:51, after passing the half way mark in 1:03:01.
Women
Yoko Shibui: Yoko Shibui has run only one marathon, but it was a sensational one. Since the end of the last year, Shibui has been on a roll, recording best stages in all the ekiden races she entered this winter season. In the 2001 Osaka Ladies marathon, running alone from 22Km, Yoko Shibui set a world marathon debut best of 2:23:11. Yoshio Koide, Naoko Takahashi’s coach predicted: "Shibui will probably be able to run sub 2:20 in her second or third marathon. Shibui may be the most talented runner in Japan."
Reiko Tosa: She first distinguished herself when she finished sixth in the 1999 World Half Marathon Championships. She followed this up with the second place finish behind Naoko Takahashi in the 2000 Nagoya Women’s marathon with 2:24:36. Although it was her second marathon, it was effectively her debut, because her debut at Matsuyama where she won in 2:54:47 was not a serious effort. Although Tosa failed to improve her marathon best, she ran a second consecutive sub 2:25 marathon in the 2000 Tokyo marathon when she was second to Joyce Chepchumba with 2:24:47, which qualified her for the Worlds.
Kazumi Matsuo: She is undefeated at the marathon distance, having won three marathons in three starts. She won her debut marathon at the 1999 Hokkaido marathon in 2:32:14 despite 25°C temperature and 64% humidity. She followed with another win at the 2000 Berlin marathon in 2:26:15. Her third marathon was a close contest, however, Matsuo managed to outkick Takami Ominami at the 2001 Nagoya Women’s marathon when she recorded 2:26:01 to improve her marathon PR for the second time.
Takami Ominami: With her twin sister Hiromi, Takami Ominami has run three marathons in her career, all in Nagoya. In her debut marathon in 1999, she was fifth in 2:33:05, while her twin sister Hiromi was third in 2:30:19. Takami finished ahead of her twin sister in their second marathon at the 2000 Nagoya Women’s marathon. Takami was third in 2:26:58 while Hiromi was fifth in 2:28:32. Then in their third marathon Takami improved her marathon best again to 2:26:04 when she was barely beaten at the 2001 Nagoya Women’s marathon.
Yukiko Okamoto: Although Yukiko Okamoto made a very respectable marathon debut at 1996 Osaka Ladies marathon - 11th with 2:30:48, her subsequent marathon was undistinguished. In her second marathon, 1999 Nagoya Women’s marathon, she was only 26th in 2:43:53. Okamoto who was 9th and 8th in the 1998 and 2000 World half marathon championships, respectively, finally fulfilled her potential at the marathon in the 2001 Nagoya Women’s marathon. She finished third in 2:26:21. She is also a national champion at the 10,000m.
