Toshinari Takaoka wins Athlete of the Year award in Japan

A panel of 37 experts selected Toshinari Takaoka, a triple Asian record holder, as the 2002 Japanese Athlete of Year. The top ten Athletes were announced in the April issue of the Track & Field Magazine of Japan (Rikujyo Kyougi Magazine).

This is the second time that Takaoka has won the Athlete of the Year award, having taken the title in 1994 when he completed a 5000m/10,000m double at the Asian Games. Takaoka finished just ahead of hammer thrower Koji Murofushi, last year's Athlete of the Year, in the closest contest in the history of the poll. Only two points separated them. The third place went to Kayoko Fukushi, who set four national records and won two silver medals at the Asian Games. 

Here is the list of the top ten athletes of the year and their major 2002 accomplishments:
    
Toshinari Takaoka

By running the fourth fastest marathon in history, 2:06:16, in 2002 Chicago marathon, Takaoka added another Asian record to his collection, having set 5000m (13:13.40) and 10,000m (27:35.09) records earlier.
 
While most talented distance runners in Japan move up to the marathon prematurely, Takaoka was different. Takaoka who set his first national record at the 5000m - 13:20.43 - in 1992,  waited until 2001 to run the marathon.

During the interim nine years, Takaoka set three national records and competed in six global championships. In 1998 Takaoka improved the 5000m record to 13:13.40. The following year he set the national record at 3000m, 7:41.87, and in 2001 Takaoka set the Asian record, 27:35.09, at 10,000m. He competed in four World Championships and two Olympics; his best finish was seventh at the 10,000m in Sydney, where Takaoka was the only runner who ran in both 5000m and 10,000m finals.

After setting an Asian 10,000m record, his final goal on the track, Takaoka started to train for the marathon. For a runner of his credentials on the track, his marathon debut at 2001 Fukuoka marathon where he finished third in 2:09:41 was a bit disappointing. However, in his second marathon at Chicago, Takaoka has shown that the marathon may be his best event. 

Koji Murofushi

Murofushi once again has shown that he is one of the best hammer throwers in the world. He won the IAAF Grand Prix final in Paris, the first by a Japanese in any event. In addition to successfully defending the Asian Games title, Murofushi won the Asian Track and Field Championships and finished second at the IAAF World Cup. He threw 80m in eight different competitions, and won the national championships for the eighth consecutive year. 

Kayoko Fukushi

A 20-years-old Fukushi won both 5000m and 10,000m in the national championships, and set four national records, once at 3000m (8:44.40) and thrice at 5000m, culminating with 14:55.19.  In the process she became the first Japanese woman to break the 15 minutes barrier. She won two medals at the Asian Games. While winning two silver medals in Busan, Fukushi set personal best at both 5000m (14:55.19 NR) and 10000m (30:51.81). 

Yoko Shibui

Shibui broke the national 10,000m record and thus became the first Japanese woman to crack the 31 minutes barrier. Her time, 30:48.89 was the fourth fastest 10,000m time in 2002. Five months later, again on US soil, despite going out at near suicidal pace with Paula Radcliffe in Chicago, Shibui recorded the second fastest marathon performance by a Japanese woman, 2:21:22. 

Shingo Suetsugu

Suetsugu won a gold medal at 200m in the Asian Games. Suetsugu also excelled in the short sprint in 2002.  He recorded 10.05 for the 100m. As a college senior Suetsugu won three events (100m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay) to lead his team to first place at the collegiate championships. 

Naoko Takahashi

The reigning Olympic marathon champion and the first sub-2:20 woman marathon runner, Takahashi won her second consecutive Berlin marathon in 2:21:49;  she thus stretched her marathon-winning streak to six. So far in her career she has run seven marathons, and has won all except for her debut at the 1997 Osaka International Ladies Marathon. 

Chinatsu Mori

The first Japanese woman to break the 17m barrier in the Shot Put, Mori improved the national record five times in 2002, culminating in three national records (16.94m in the second round, 17.36m in the fourth round, and 17.39m in the fifth round) in November. After briefly losing her national record in the fourth round of the Asian Games, Mori came back with a better mark of her own on her sixth and the final throw to finish fifth. 

Fumi Mitsumura

Leading throughout the race in Kingston at the IAAF World Junior Championships, Mitsumura won the women’s 10,000m Walk in a new national junior record (46:01.51), and thus became only the second Japanese to win a gold medal at the World Junior Championships.

Earlier in May, she had improved the 3000m Walk national record to 12:53.53.  A month later she won the national junior championships at 10,000m Walk, with the new national junior record of 46:02.58. After winning her gold in Kingston and improving the record once more, she competed in the national inter-high school championships, which she also won with a new championships record.

Makiko Yoshida

During the last few years Yoshida has established herself as the dominant 400m Hurdler in Japan, having set multiple national records as well as winning multiple national championships. Starting at the 2001 East Asian Games, Yoshida recorded five national records at 400mH, culminating with 56.68 at the 2002 Asian Games, where she was 4th. Yoshida won three straight 400mH titles at the national championships. She also excelled in the flat events, having won the national title at 400m. In the Asian Championships, Yoshida finished 3rd at 400mH, and 4th at 400m. 

Masumi Aya

During the last two years Aya has established herself as the best women’s hammer thrower in Japan. Starting with the 2001 national championships where she recorded 62.13m, Aya has recorded five national records. In May of 2002, Aya recorded national records in two successive competitions, culminating in 66.27m. A month later Aya won the second consecutive national championships, which qualified her for the Asian Games. She was third at the Asian Games in Busan, Korea.

Ken Nakamura for the IAAF