Japanese Team for 9th IAAF World Championships

IAAF's Japan Correspondent K. Ken Nakamura gives a brief biographical breakdown of the Japanese Team for the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

Men:
Shingo Suetsugu 100m/200m:  Asian Games 200m gold medalist, 200m national record holder
Nobuharu Asahara 100m:  Five-time national champion and former national record holder at 100m
Hisashi Miyazaki 200m:  2002 national champion and inter-collegiate champion 
Hiroyasu Tsuchie 100m:  1998 national champion at 200m
Ryo Matsuda 200m:  Second in 1999 and 2003 national championships at 200m 
Mitsuhiro Sato 400m:  2003 national champion at 400m
Jun Osakada 400m: Two-time (1999 and 2001) national champion at 400m
Kenji Tabata 400m:  Two-time (1998 and 2002) national champion at 400m
Yuki Yamaguchi 400m:  2002 inter-collegiate champion as college freshman  
Takahiko Yamamura 400m:  Two-time (1997 & 2000) national champion; second fastest 400m runner in Japan
Tomoo Tsubota 10000m:  Fastest 10000m and half marathon runner in Japan in 2002
Masato Naito 110mH:  National record holder, 2001 national champion
Dai Tamesue 400mH:  Edmonton bronze medalist and national record holder at 400mH  
Ken Yoshizawa 400mH:  Twice runner-up to Tamesue at national championships and inter-collegiate championships
Yoshitaka Iwamizu 3000mSC:  Silver medalist in 2002 Asian Games; set two PBs this year      
Toshihito Fujinohara 20KmW: National champion and silver medalist at 2002 Asian Championships
Akinori Matsuzaki 20KmW:  Two-time national inter-collegiate champion 
Eiichi Yoshizawa 20KmW:  Gold medalist in 2002 Asian Championships 
Fumio Imamura 50KmW:  Seventh in 1991 Worlds and Sixth in 1997 Worlds at 50KmW 
Daichi Sawano PV:  National champion and national record holder; improved his PB by 23cm this year
Fumiaki Kobayashi PV:  Former national record holder, twice bronze medalist in Asian Games 
Takanori Sugibayashi TJ:  Four-time national champion, silver medalist in 1998 Asian Championships
Koji Murofushi HT:  Edmonton Silver medalist, twice Asian Games champion, third longest thrower in history.

Women
Motaka Arai  4x100mR:  200m National record holder and six-time national champion at 100m/200m
Kaori Sakagami 4x100mR: Former national record holder and 1997 national champion at 100m
Ayumi Suzuki 4x100mR:  1999 inter-collegiate champion at 100m and runner-up at 2000 nationals at 100m/200m
Tomoko Ishida 4x100mR:  1996 inter-collegiate champion and third in 2000, 2002, and 2003 nationals at 100m
Kayoko Fukushi 10000m:  Asian Games silver medalist (5000m/10000m) national record holder 3000/5000m
Megumi Tanaka 10000m:  Tenth at 10000m in 1999 Worlds at 5000m; 2:28:10 marathon runner  
Yoko Shibui:  10000m: National 10000m record holder; set marathon debut record (2:23:11); marathon PR 2:21:22
Yvonne Kanazawa 100mH:  Eight-time national champion; set six national records 
Makiko Yoshida 400mH:  Two-time 400m/400mH national champion; set seven national records at 400mH
Miki Imai HJ:  Five-time national champion and national record holder
Masumi Ono PV:  Three-time national champion and national record holder both indoor and outdoor 
Kumiko Ikeda LJ:  Bronze medalist in 2000 World Junior Championships and 2001 World University Games
Chinatsu Mori SP: Two-time national champion and national record holder both indoor and outdoor
Masumi Aya HT:  Three-time national champion; set five national records
Takako Miyake JT: Sixth-time national champion and national record holder
Ryoko Tadamasa  20KmW: National champion and bronze medalist at 2002 Asian Championships  

Marathon
Men:
Tsuyoshi Ogata: Second in 2002 Fukuoka marathon in 2:09:15; fourth in 2001 Berlin in 2:10:06
Shigeru Aburaya: Fifth in the 2001 Worlds. 2:07:52 in 2001 Lake Biwa marathon, 2:09:30 in 2003 Tokyo marathon
Masakazu Fujiwara:  Collegiate & national marathon debut record (2:08:12) in 2003 Lake Biwa marathon   
Koji Shimizu: Oldest sub 2:09 (2:08:28) runner in Japan. Seventh in 1999 Worlds and second at 2002 Asian Games    
Atsushi Sato:  Former collegiate record holder (2:09:50), 2:08:50 in Lake Biwa marathon, eighth in the World Half
Women:
Rie Matsuoka: Second in Paris marathon (2:24:33) and Tokyo Ladies marathon; Sixth at 5000m in World Junior  
Mizuki Noguchi:  Second in World Half. Won both of her marathons she started; 2:21:18 in 2003 Osaka marathon   
Takami Ominami:  Won 2002 Rotterdam marathon (2:23:43), and 2003 Nagoya Women's marathon.   
Masako Chiba:  Bronze medalist at 10000m in 1997 Worlds, fifth in Atlanta. Third in 2003 Osaka with 2:21:45       
Naoko Sakamoto: Second fastest marathon debut (2:21:51) in 2003 Osaka Ladies marathon