Japan announces World Championships Marathon squad

The Japanese squad which will contest the men’s and women’s Marathons at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Helsinki, Finland (6 -14 August) has been selected from the top finishers of Fukuoka, Beppu, Tokyo and Lake Biwa Marathons for men, and Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Marathons for women. 

In the men’s line-up, Tsuyoshi Ogata, Toshinari Takaoka and Michitaka Hosokawa qualified automatically because they were the first Japanese home in Fukuoka, Tokyo and Lake Biwa Marathon respectively with sub-2:09:30 clockings.  Two other runners - Wataru Okutani and Satoshi Irifune - were selected by the Japan AAF.

The women’s team is composed of Mari Ozaki and Yumiko Hara who qualified automatically because they were the first Japanese in Osaka and Nagoya respectively with sub 2:26 clocking.  Three other runners – Megumi Oshima, Ryoko Eda, and Harumi Hiroyama - were selected by the Japan AAF. 

Remarkably, Japanese women have won a medal in every global championships since 1991 except the World Championships of 1995, and have been the top team in the last four Championships too.  In fact both the men’s and women’s team won the team title in Paris. 

Although Japan’s men have not won a medal since the 1992 Olympics, Toshinari Takaoka in Helsinki perhaps offers them a very good chance for a podium finish.

Ken Nakamura for the IAAF

The Team

Men:

Toshinari Takaoka

Quadruple national record holder at the 3000m (7:41.87), 5000m (13:13.40), 10,000m (27:35.09) and the marathon (2:06:16), Toshinari Takaoka won the 2005 Tokyo Marathon with 2:07:41, and thus automatically qualified for the World Championships Marathon team.  It was his first marathon victory, having finished third in his previous four marathons despite running four consecutive sub 2:10 marathons (2:09: 41, 2:06:16, 2:07:59 and 2:07:50).  Takaoka is the best runner in Japan, having competed in two Olympics and four Worlds.  He also completed 5000m/10,000m double at the 1994 Asian Games.  “I dream to be the best in the world.  Since I could not fulfill that dream in Athens, I would like to attain it in Helsinki,” said Takaoka, who was seventh at the 10,000m in the Sydney Olympics.    
 
Tsuyoshi Ogata 

Tsuyoshi Ogata won the 2004 Fukuoka Marathon with 2:09:10, his first marathon victory in nine starts, and thus automatically qualified for the World Championships marathon team.  For Ogata, his best previous finish was second place in the 2002 Fukuoka Marathon, while his marathon personal best, 2:08:37, was recorded in the 2003 Fukuoka Marathon.  In 2004 Ogata recorded a personal best at 10,000m, 28:05.76.  Helsinki will be Ogata’s second World Championships, having finished 12th at the marathon with 2:10:29 in Paris.  Although Ogata was one of the best high school runners of his generation, according to his coach Yasushi Sakaguchi, “Ogata’s success came from his hard work, not from his great talent.” 

Michitaka Hosokawa

Having finished third, the first Japanese, at the 2005 Lake Biwa marathon with 2:09:10, Michitaka Hosokawa automatically qualified for the World Championships marathon team.  It was second marathon of his career, having previously finished sixth in the 2004 Tokyo Marathon with 2:10:38.  Twenty-eight years old Hosokawa is a late bloomer; he failed to make the national high school championships, but finished eighth at 10,000m in the Inter-Collegiate championships.  Then in 2004, not only Hosokawa made a successful marathon debut, but he also set a huge personal best at the 10,000m, 27:54.42. 

Wataru Okutani

Having finished a close fourth, the second Japanese, in the 2005 Lake Biwa Marathon with 2:09:13, Wataru Okutani was selected for the World Championships Marathon team.  When he finished fifth at the 1999 Tokyo Marathon with 2:11:24, he was considered to be one of the great marathon hopes.  Although it took him more than six years to improve his marathon best, he is finally started to fulfill his long awaited promise.  In the shorter distances, Okutani was 40th in the 2003 World Half Marathon Championships and has a Half Marathon best of 1:02:55 from 2004. 

Satotshi Irifune

Having won the 2005 Beppu-Oita Marathon with 2:09:58, Satoshi Irifune was selected for the World Championships Marathon team.  One of the premier track runners in Japan, having recorded the 5000m and 10,000m best of 13:22.12 and 27:53.92 respectively and finished 20th at 10,000m in the 1999 World Championships, Irifune made a respectable marathon debut at the 2002 Lake Biwa marathon when he was 11th with 2:11:26.  After three mediocre marathons, Irifune finally won the marathon and set a personal best in the 2005 Beppu-Oita marathon. 

Women:

Mari Ozaki 

Despite not being in top form, Mari Ozaki finished second, the first Japanese, in the 2005 Osaka Ladies Marathon with 2:23:59 and thus automatically qualified for the World Championships Marathon team.  It was Ozaki’s second marathon of her career, having finished fifth in her debut at the 2003 Osaka Ladies Marathon with 2:23:30. As for shorter distances, Ozaki was 19th at the 10,000m in Edmonton and 27th in the 2002 World Half Marathon championships. Ozaki won the 2003 national championships at 5000m with 15:12.76 and recorded sub-32 minutes 10,000m in four of the last six years. 

Yumiko Hara

Having won the 2005 Nagoya Women’s Marathon with 2:24:19 on her debut, Yumiko Hara was automatically qualified for the World Championships marathon team.  Although she failed to make an inter-high school championship, Hara showed early promise at the longer distance.  She was ninth at 10,000m with 33:13.99 (third on all-time high school) in the 1999 national championships when she was a high school senior.  Her real breakthrough came in 2001 when she recorded 31:48.50 for 10,000m.  Hara then recorded a Half Marathon personal best of 1:09:28 in 2002 and finished 19th at the 2003 World Half Marathon Championships with 1:12:21.

Megumi Oshima (Tanaka)

Megumi Oshima, formerly Megumi Tanaka before her marriage to Kenta Oshima (10,000m best of 27:53.95), finished second in the 2005 Nagoya Women’s Marathon with 2:24:25, thus selected for the World Championships marathon team.  It was Oshima’s fourth marathon of her career, having recorded 2:28:10 (debut), 2:29:57 and 2:24:47 in her three previous marathons.  Oshima is a premier track runner in Japan, having represented Japan at the 5000m in Sydney and 10,000m in Athens.  She was tenth at the 5000m in the 1999 World Championships and has a personal best of 15:17.92 and 31:34.01 at 5000m and 10,000m respectively. 

Ryoko Eda (Kitajima) 

Having finished third with a huge personal best of 2:24:54 in the 2005 Nagoya Women’s Marathon, Ryoko Eda (formerly Kitajima) was selected for the World Championships Marathon team.  It was a stunning breakthrough for the 28 years old, whose personal best at 5000m, 10,000m and half marathon are only 15:57.64, 32:29.79, and 1:11:22 respectively.  Nagoya was her sixth marathon of her career, having recorded a previous personal best, 2:29:20, at the 2002 Osaka Ladies Marathon.  Eda is a captain of her track team. 

Harumi Hiroyama

Having finished third at the 2005 Osaka Ladies Marathon with 2:25:56, 36 years old Harumi Hiroyama was selected for the World Championships Marathon team.  Hiroyama was a premier track runner in Japan; she once held national records at 1500m (4:12.39, 4:11.10), 3000m (8:51.21, 8:50.40) and 5000m (15:07.75, 15:03.67) and competed in 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m in the global championships.  Her best finish was at the 1999 World Championships, where she was fourth at 10,000m. She has run eight marathons, recording a personal best of 2:22:56 in the 2000 Osaka Ladies Marathon.  She is a silver medalist at the marathon in the 2002 Asian Games.