Yuriko Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 祐梨子; born 12 December 1988) is a Japanese professional middle- and long-distance runner…
Yuriko Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 祐梨子; born 12 December 1988) is a Japanese professional middle- and long-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres and 5000 metres. She represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She started out in middle-distance events, running in the 800 metres at the 2004 World Junior Championships and then winning a 1500 m silver medal at the World Youth Championships in Athletics the following year. She won the bronze medal in the 1500 m at the 2005 Asian Championships in Athletics and went one better at the 2006 Asian Games by taking the silver medal in Doha. Kobayashi moved up to specialise in longer distances and ran the 5000 m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after becoming the Japanese national champion in the event. She gave the best performance by an Asian runner in the women's 5000 m at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, finishing in eleventh and beating her domestic rival Yurika Nakamura. Kobayashi ended her season with a 5000 m gold medal at the 2009 East Asian Games. She was selected to represent Asia/Pacific at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup, but managed only eighth place in the 3000 m. The following January, she ran for Hyōgo at the 2011 Women's Inter-Prefectural Ekiden and set a new stage record in her section, although the team finished in ninth position overall. She was the bronze medalist in the 5000 m at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships in Kobe, one place behind her compatriot Hitomi Niiya. At the International Chiba Ekiden in November she won the first women's stage for Japan, setting a race record for her leg, and the mixed team went on to finish a close second behind Kenya.
Famous Alumni of Suma Gakuen High School
Suma Gakuen High School: 6 people
Masumi Fuchise (渕瀬 真寿美) (born 2 September 1986) is a Japanese racewalker. She was seventh at the 2009 World…
Masumi Fuchise (渕瀬 真寿美) (born 2 September 1986) is a Japanese racewalker. She was seventh at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics and is a two-time Asian Race Walking Champion. In 2009, she set the Japanese record for the 20 kilometres race walk event. She also won the silver medal at the 2009 Summer Universiade.
Keiko Nogami (野上 恵子, Nogami Keiko; born December 6, 1985 in Ono, Hyōgo) is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes…
Keiko Nogami (野上 恵子, Nogami Keiko; born December 6, 1985 in Ono, Hyōgo) is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. Nogami took second at the 2015 Gold Coast Marathon, losing first place to Risa Takenaka and defeating third place finisher Manami Kamitanida.
Maki Mita (三田 真希, Mita Maki; born 22 April 1983) is a Japanese former swimmer who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics…
Maki Mita (三田 真希, Mita Maki; born 22 April 1983) is a Japanese former swimmer who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics and in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Sachiko Yamada (山田沙知子, Yamada Sachiko; born October 15, 1982) is an Olympic and former World-Record-holding freestyle…
Sachiko Yamada (山田沙知子, Yamada Sachiko; born October 15, 1982) is an Olympic and former World-Record-holding freestyle swimmer from Japan. She swam for Japan at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Yamada was born in Osaka, Japan.
Yuri Kanō (加納 由理, Kanō Yuri; born 27 October 1978 in Takasago) is a Japanese athlete who specialises in long distance…
Yuri Kanō (加納 由理, Kanō Yuri; born 27 October 1978 in Takasago) is a Japanese athlete who specialises in long distance running, including the marathon. Her first major medal came at the Summer Universiade, where she won the silver in the 10,000 metres race. She changed to focus on road running and after successful appearances in ekiden competitions, she won her first marathon in 2007 – the Hokkaido Marathon. Representing an independent athletics club she took part in the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon in 2009. She competed at the World Championships in Athletics for the first time that year, and ended the World Championship marathon race in seventh place. She won a silver in the half marathon event at the 2009 East Asian Games and won her first major domestic marathon race soon after, taking the Nagoya Marathon in a time of 2:27:11.