Daichi Sawano (澤野大地, Sawano Daichi; born 16 September 1980 in Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka and raised in Chiba Prefecture)…
Daichi Sawano (澤野大地, Sawano Daichi; born 16 September 1980 in Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka and raised in Chiba Prefecture) is a Japanese pole vaulter. His personal best is 5.83 metres, which is the current Japanese National Record (as of 2019/01/01) achieved in May 2005 in Shizuoka. Sawano is a three-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2016), two-time Olympic Finalist, whose best finish was 7th at the Rio Olympics (2016). Sawano is currently coached by the staff at the University of Japan (Nichidai) and USA Track and Field National Pole Vault Chair, Brian Yokoyama. He was formerly coached by former Japanese record holder Teruyasu Yonekura and renown Japanese pole coach Yamazaki.
Famous Japanese People: Track and Field
Track and Field: 606 people
Shintaro Sato (佐藤 真太郎, Satō Shintarō) (born (1980-08-20)August 20, 1980 in Tsurugashima) is a Japanese retired…
Shintaro Sato (佐藤 真太郎, Satō Shintarō) (born (1980-08-20)August 20, 1980 in Tsurugashima) is a Japanese retired bobsledder and sprinter.
Masato Naitō (内藤 真人, Naitō Masato; born 31 July 1980 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan) is a retired Japanese hurdler. He is the…
Masato Naitō (内藤 真人, Naitō Masato; born 31 July 1980 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan) is a retired Japanese hurdler. He is the former national record holder for the 110 metres hurdles and 60 metres hurdles. He finished fourth at the 2005 Asian Championships and third at the 2006 Asian Games. He also competed at the World Championships in 2001, 2003 and 2005 as well as the 2004 Olympic Games without reaching the final round. His personal best time is 13.43 seconds in the 110 metres hurdles (Kumagaya 2008) and 7.75 seconds in the 60 metres hurdles (Valencia 2008). The latter is the former national record. He retired after the 2012 season.
Naohiro Kawakita (河北 尚広, Kawakita Naohiro; born 10 July 1980 in Takamatsu, Kagawa) is a Japanese hurdler who…
Naohiro Kawakita (河北 尚広, Kawakita Naohiro; born 10 July 1980 in Takamatsu, Kagawa) is a Japanese hurdler who specialises in the 400 metres hurdles. He won bronze medals at the 2006 Asian Games and 2010 Asian Games in the event.
Shingo Suetsugu (末續 慎吾, Suetsugu Shingo; born 2 June 1980 in Kumamoto) is a Japanese sprinter. He is a former Asian…
Shingo Suetsugu (末續 慎吾, Suetsugu Shingo; born 2 June 1980 in Kumamoto) is a Japanese sprinter. He is a former Asian record holder in the 200 metres and 4×100 metres relay.
Chinatsu Mori (森 千夏, Mori Chinatsu) (May 20, 1980 in Edogawa, Tokyo – August 9, 2006 in Tokyo) was a Japanese shot…
Chinatsu Mori (森 千夏, Mori Chinatsu) (May 20, 1980 in Edogawa, Tokyo – August 9, 2006 in Tokyo) was a Japanese shot putter. Her personal best throw is 18.22 metres, achieved in April 2004 in Hamamatsu. This is the current Japanese record. She won the silver medal at the 2000 Asian Championships and the bronze medal at the 2003 Asian Championships. In addition she competed at the 2003 World Championships and the 2004 Olympic Games without reaching the final round. Mori died of appendix cancer on August 9, 2006, aged 26.
Mayumi Kita (喜多 真裕美, Kita Mayumi; née Kawasaki (川崎), born 10 May 1980) is a Japanese race walker from Ibaraki…
Mayumi Kita (喜多 真裕美, Kita Mayumi; née Kawasaki (川崎), born 10 May 1980) is a Japanese race walker from Ibaraki Prefecture. She represented her country in the 20 km race walk at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Her personal best time for the 20 km race walk is 1:28:49 hours. A three-time Asian Race Walk Champion, she is a former national record holder and the second fastest Japanese race walker after Masumi Fuchise. Kawasaki has competed at the World Championships in Athletics on four occasions, with her best finish being tenth in 2007.
Takayuki Matsumiya (Japanese: 松宮隆行; born 21 February 1980 in Akita) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes…
Takayuki Matsumiya (Japanese: 松宮隆行; born 21 February 1980 in Akita) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in marathon races. He holds the Asian record and Japanese record over 25 km and 30 km. He has a twin brother, Yuko, who is also a top-level marathon runner. He made his debut over the marathon distance at the Nobeoka Marathon, which he finished in a time of 2:18:48. He also made his global championship debut that year, competing at the 2001 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and taking 53rd place overall. He was eleventh at the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships, which was good enough to help Japan finish third in the team competition. He won the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon in 2006, breaking a run of wins by Kenyan runners. He improved his marathon best at the Lake Biwa Marathon the month after, taking second place to José Ríos with a run of 2:10:20. In February 2007 he broke the 30 kilometres road running world record in Kumamoto. The time was 1:28:00 hours – a mark which stood for over two years, eventually being beaten by Haile Gebrselassie in September 2009, en route to his marathon world record run in Berlin. Matsumiya competed at the 2007 Rotterdam Marathon and was pleased despite being defeated by Joshua Chelanga as the Japanese set a personal best of 2:10:04 to finish in the runner-up spot. He represented Japan in the 5000 metres at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics but did not manage to progress into the event final. He made his Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and ran in both the 5000 m and 10,000 metres. He was knocked out in the qualifiers over the shorter distance and placed 31st in the 10,000 m. He aimed to qualify for the marathon at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu. He missed the necessary time at a hot Fukuoka Marathon, but his run of 2:10:54 still got him third place on the podium. He returned to the marathon distance in 2012 and ran a personal best of 2:09:28 hours to claim seventh place at the Tokyo Marathon.
Mitsuhiro Sato (佐藤 光浩, Satō Mitsuhiro; born 8 January 1980 in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima) is a retired Japanese sprinter…
Mitsuhiro Sato (佐藤 光浩, Satō Mitsuhiro; born 8 January 1980 in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima) is a retired Japanese sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. He finished fourth in 4 × 400 m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games, together with teammates Yuki Yamaguchi, Jun Osakada and Tomohiro Ito. Sato also competed at the World Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007. His personal best time is 45.50 seconds, achieved in June 2003 in Yokohama.
Ikuko Nishikori (錦織 育子, Nishikori Ikuko; born 5 January 1980 in Izumo, Shimane) is a retired Japanese pole vaulter. She…
Ikuko Nishikori (錦織 育子, Nishikori Ikuko; born 5 January 1980 in Izumo, Shimane) is a retired Japanese pole vaulter. She won the bronze medal at the 2005 East Asian Games, finished fifth at the 2005 Asian Championships, won the gold medal at the 2006 Asian Indoor Championships, the bronze medal at the 2006 Asian Games and the gold medal at the 2008 Asian Indoor Championships. Her personal best jump is 4.36 metres, achieved in April 2006 in Hiroshima. Indoors she has 4.31 metres, achieved in February 2006 in Yokohama. These are both former national records.
Ryo Matsuda (松田 亮, Matsuda Ryō; born 26 December 1979 in Hiroshima) is a Japanese retired track and field sprinter who…
Ryo Matsuda (松田 亮, Matsuda Ryō; born 26 December 1979 in Hiroshima) is a Japanese retired track and field sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres. He competed at the 2001 World Championships, the 2003 World Championships and the 2004 Olympic Games.
Yukifumi Murakami (村上 幸史, Murakami Yukifumi; born 23 December 1979 in Kamijima, Ehime) is a Japanese javelin thrower.…
Yukifumi Murakami (村上 幸史, Murakami Yukifumi; born 23 December 1979 in Kamijima, Ehime) is a Japanese javelin thrower. He was the first Japanese athlete to win a World Championship medal in the javelin, taking bronze at the 2009 edition with a throw of 82.97 metres. He was successful as a junior athlete and won the bronze medal in the javelin at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He established himself as one of Asia's top throwers in the following years, winning silver medals at the 2001 East Asian Games, 2002 Asian Games, and the 2003 Asian Athletics Championships. His first global appearance was at the 2004 Summer Olympics and he finished 18th overall in the final rankings. The 2005 World Championships in Athletics was his next major tournament where he could only finish in 27th place with a disappointing throw of 68.31 m. He was runner-up for a second time at the 2006 Asian Games and took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics two years later. Murakami was voted the Japanese athlete of the year for 2009 by both Rikujyo Kyougi Magazine (Track and Field Magazine of Japan) and the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. These awards capped a decade of national dominance – with ten consecutive wins, he won the javelin at every national championships in the 2000s. His performance at the 2009 World Championships included a personal best of 83.10 m to qualify for the final, and 82.97 m to win the bronze medal – his second best ever throw. He finished the year with a gold medal performance at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships. He started 2010 with a throw of 82.49 m in Wakayama in April – his longest throw achieved in Japan. He extended his consecutive national title run to eleven in June, out-throwing Nobuhiro Sato by four metres. On April 29, 2013, he extended his personal best by more than 2 meters to 85.96, more than 1 meter longer than the London Olympic winning throw, and 2nd best by a Japanese javelin thrower after Kazuhiro Mizoguchi.
Mizuho Nasukawa (Japanese: 那須川 瑞穂; born 22 November 1979) is a female Japanese former long-distance runner. She won the…
Mizuho Nasukawa (Japanese: 那須川 瑞穂; born 22 November 1979) is a female Japanese former long-distance runner. She won the Tokyo Marathon in 2009 in a personal best of 2:25:38 hours. She represented Japan at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2000 and was also twice a medallist at the Asian Athletics Championships.
Suehiro Ishikawa (Japanese: 石川末廣; born 27 September 1979) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He finished 47th in the…
Suehiro Ishikawa (Japanese: 石川末廣; born 27 September 1979) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He finished 47th in the senior men's race at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He placed seventh at the 2013 Berlin Marathon and fourth at the 2016 Lake Biwa Marathon, qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. Ishikawa has a degree in economics from the Toyo University.
Shigeyuki Kojima (小島 茂之, Kojima Shigeyuki; born 25 September 1979) is a retired Japanese sprinter. He competed in the…
Shigeyuki Kojima (小島 茂之, Kojima Shigeyuki; born 25 September 1979) is a retired Japanese sprinter. He competed in the 100 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2000 Olympic Games. He was also selected as a reserve for the 100 metres at the 2007 World Championships, but he did not compete.
Takahiko Yamamura (山村 貴彦, Yamamura Takahiko; born 13 August 1979) is a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 400…
Takahiko Yamamura (山村 貴彦, Yamamura Takahiko; born 13 August 1979) is a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Shinichi Terano (寺野 伸一, Terano Shin'ichi; born 10 July 1979) is a Japanese long jumper. His personal best jump is 8.20…
Shinichi Terano (寺野 伸一, Terano Shin'ichi; born 10 July 1979) is a Japanese long jumper. His personal best jump is 8.20 metres, achieved in June 2004 in Tottori. He won the bronze medal at the 2003 Asian Championships. He also competed at the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2005 World Championships without reaching the final.
Toshiyuki Fujimoto (藤本 俊之, Fujimoto Toshiyuki; born 25 June 1979 in Hyogo Prefecture) is a Japanese sprinter who…
Toshiyuki Fujimoto (藤本 俊之, Fujimoto Toshiyuki; born 25 June 1979 in Hyogo Prefecture) is a Japanese sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres. He finished fourth in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2001 World Championships, together with teammates Ryo Matsuda, Shingo Suetsugu and Nobuharu Asahara.
Yoshitaka Iwamizu (岩水 嘉孝, Iwamizu Yoshitaka; born 20 June 1979 in Toyohashi, Aichi) is a Japanese long-distance runner.…
Yoshitaka Iwamizu (岩水 嘉孝, Iwamizu Yoshitaka; born 20 June 1979 in Toyohashi, Aichi) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He finished fifth at the 2001 Summer Universiade in Beijing, won a silver medal at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Korea and finished eleventh at the 2003 World Championships in Paris. He also competed at the World Championships in 2001 and 2005 as well as the 2004 Summer Olympics without reaching the finals there. He graduated from the Juntendo University.
Yoshihiro Chiba (千葉 佳裕, Chiba Yoshiro; born 29 April 1979 in Saitama Prefecture) is a retired Japanese hurdler who…
Yoshihiro Chiba (千葉 佳裕, Chiba Yoshiro; born 29 April 1979 in Saitama Prefecture) is a retired Japanese hurdler who specialized in the 400 metres hurdles. He is the Asian best performer in the rarely-contested 300 metres hurdles. He is currently the director of track and field club at Josai University. He married Japanese hurdler Satomi Kubokura in April 2013.
Yoko Shibui (渋井 陽子, Shibui Yōko; born March 14, 1979 in Kuroiso, now Nasushiobara, Tochigi) is a long-distance runner…
Yoko Shibui (渋井 陽子, Shibui Yōko; born March 14, 1979 in Kuroiso, now Nasushiobara, Tochigi) is a long-distance runner from Japan, who is competing in the 5000 and 10,000 metres as well as the marathon race. She holds the Japanese record over 10,000 m with her best time of 30:48.89 minutes. Shibui is one of only a handful of women to have completed the marathon under two hours and twenty minutes – her personal best of 2:19.41 ranks her within the top ten fastest ever. She made a winning debut in the marathon in 2001, when she triumphed at the Osaka Ladies Marathon in 2:23:11 hours. She finished fourth at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. At the next global championships, the 2003 World Championships in Paris, she finished fourteenth in the 10,000 metres. One year later Shibui won the Berlin Marathon, clocking a personal best of 2:19:41. In 2008, she finished seventeenth in the 10,000 metres at the Olympic Games. Shibui won both the Osaka Ladies Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon in 2009. At the 2011 Tokyo Marathon she was in a leading position with only two kilometres to go but slowed to relinquish her lead, ending up in fourth place. She tried to gain a place on the 2012 Olympic marathon team, but her fourth-place finish at the 2012 Nagoya Women's Marathon was not enough for selection.
Hiroaki Doi (土井宏昭, Doi Hiroaki; born December 2, 1978) is a Japanese hammer thrower. His personal best throw is 74.08…
Hiroaki Doi (土井宏昭, Doi Hiroaki; born December 2, 1978) is a Japanese hammer thrower. His personal best throw is 74.08 metres, achieved in June 2007 in Inba.
Hiroshi Sasano (笹野 浩志, Sasano Hiroshi; born 23 September 1978 in Aichi Prefecture) is a Japanese middle-distance…
Hiroshi Sasano (笹野 浩志, Sasano Hiroshi; born 23 September 1978 in Aichi Prefecture) is a Japanese middle-distance runner. He was a three-time Japanese national champion in the 800 metres.
Miwako Yamanaka (山中 美和子, Yamanaka Miwako; born 24 May 1978) is a retired Japanese long-distance runner. Her first and…
Miwako Yamanaka (山中 美和子, Yamanaka Miwako; born 24 May 1978) is a retired Japanese long-distance runner. Her first and only international medal came at the 1997 Summer Universiade where she took the bronze in the 10,000 metres. She won the Kobe Women's Half Marathon in 2001, setting a personal best time of 1:08:54 for the event. Her greatest achievements came in 2002 when she won the Fukuoka International Cross Country and went on to finish in fourth in the long race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She also won the Chiba International Cross Country competition in 2005.
Shingo Kawabata (川畑 伸吾, Kawabata Shingo; born 15 May 1978) is a Japanese former sprinter who competed in the 2000…
Shingo Kawabata (川畑 伸吾, Kawabata Shingo; born 15 May 1978) is a Japanese former sprinter who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Dai Tamesue (為末大, Tamesue Dai; born May 3, 1978 in Hiroshima) is the first Japanese sprinter to win a medal in a track…
Dai Tamesue (為末大, Tamesue Dai; born May 3, 1978 in Hiroshima) is the first Japanese sprinter to win a medal in a track event at a World Competition. Current Japanese record holder for Men's 400 meter hurdle (as of July 2021). Bronze medalist of the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton and 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. Tamesue represented Japan in the Sydney, Athens, and Beijing Olympics. He started running professionally in 2003 and retired after 25 years of competitive athletics in 2012. Pursuing ways to pass on the benefits of sports into society through associate organizations; Samurai Co., Ltd. (Representative Director), Athlete Society (Representative Director, Founded 2010), Xiborg (Founded 2014 ). Assigned to Bhutan's Olympic Committee (BOC) ambassador in April 2015. Continues to support countries that are limited in Olympic medal experiences. Other assignments include; Specially assigned researcher for the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology in Tokyo University (2014) Member of the evaluation committee for the New National Stadium reconstruction planning procedure of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2015) Sports Legacy Project management committee member for the Tokyo Marathon Foundation. In 2006, He appeared as a celebrity contestant on Quiz $ Millionaire and won the ¥10,000,000 top prize.
Julius Gitahi (born 29 April 1978 in Nyeri, Central Province) is a Kenyan long-distance runner.
Miho Sato (佐藤 美保, Satō Miho; née Sugimori; born 14 April 1978) is a retired Japanese athlete specialising in…
Miho Sato (佐藤 美保, Satō Miho; née Sugimori; born 14 April 1978) is a retired Japanese athlete specialising in middle-distance events. From Ise, Mie, she competed in the 800 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics without reaching the semifinals. She is married to a long-distance runner, Atsushi Sato.
Fumikazu Kobayashi (小林 史和, Kobayashi Fumikazu; born 21 March 1978) is a Japanese athlete who competes primarily in the…
Fumikazu Kobayashi (小林 史和, Kobayashi Fumikazu; born 21 March 1978) is a Japanese athlete who competes primarily in the 1500 metres. He competed at 2005 and 2007 World Championships reaching the semifinals stage the second time. He holds national records at several distances.
Akihiro Yasui (安井 章泰, Yasui Akihiro; born 2 October 1977 in Shiga Prefecture) is a Japanese retired track and field…
Akihiro Yasui (安井 章泰, Yasui Akihiro; born 2 October 1977 in Shiga Prefecture) is a Japanese retired track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres. He competed in the 100 metres at the 2001 World Championships.
Kazuo Ietani (家谷和男, Ietani Kazuo; born 25 August 1977) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the half…
Kazuo Ietani (家谷和男, Ietani Kazuo; born 25 August 1977) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the half marathon. He finished eighth at the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships, which was good enough to help Japan finish third in the team competition. His personal best time is 1:02:18 hours, achieved in March 2007 in Yamaguchi. In the 10,000 metres his personal best time is 28:34.04 minutes, achieved in April 2007 in Kobe.
Sakie Nobuoka (信岡 沙希重, Nobuoka Sakie; born 24 August 1977 in Yamaguchi Prefecture) is a Japanese former sprinter who…
Sakie Nobuoka (信岡 沙希重, Nobuoka Sakie; born 24 August 1977 in Yamaguchi Prefecture) is a Japanese former sprinter who specialised in the 200 metres. She represented her country at three outdoor and one indoor World Championships. She held the national records in the 200 metres (23.33 seconds), the 4 × 100 metres relay (43.67 seconds) and the 4 × 400 metres relay (3:33.06 minutes).
Kuniaki Takizaki (瀧﨑 邦明, Takizaki Kuniaki; born August 8, 1977 in Ichihara, Chiba), more commonly known as Neko Hiroshi…
Kuniaki Takizaki (瀧﨑 邦明, Takizaki Kuniaki; born August 8, 1977 in Ichihara, Chiba), more commonly known as Neko Hiroshi (猫 ひろし, Neko Hiroshi), is a Cambodian owarai comedian who uses his short stature, at 1.47 meters (4 ft 10 in) and 45 kilograms (99 lb), and cat persona in his act. He is also an avid marathon runner. In 2011, he became a naturalized citizen of Cambodia, and intended to compete in the Olympics for Cambodia.
Shinya Wada (和田 伸也, Wada Shin'ya; born 9 July 1977 in Neyagawa, Osaka pref.) is a visually impaired Japanese…
Shinya Wada (和田 伸也, Wada Shin'ya; born 9 July 1977 in Neyagawa, Osaka pref.) is a visually impaired Japanese long-distance runner. Competing in the T11 classification, Shinya has represented his country at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, where he took the bronze medal in the men's 5000m T11 race. He is also a multiple World and Asian Para Games medalist, taking six medals over four tournaments.
Tomoko Ishida (石田 智子, Ishida Tomoko; born 12 May 1977 in Niiza, Saitama) is a retired Japanese sprinter who specialized…
Tomoko Ishida (石田 智子, Ishida Tomoko; born 12 May 1977 in Niiza, Saitama) is a retired Japanese sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres. She competed in the 4 × 100 meters relay at the 2003 World Championships and 2005 World Championships without qualifying for the final. She was the 2005 Japanese national champion in the 100 meters and former Japanese national record holder in the 4 × 100 meters relay. She currently coach for the Hasegawa Sports Facilities Athletic Club.
Takayuki Nishida (西田 隆維, Nishida Takayuki; born April 26, 1977) is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan who…
Takayuki Nishida (西田 隆維, Nishida Takayuki; born April 26, 1977) is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan who mainly competed in the marathon race during his career. He set his personal best (2:08:45) in the classic distance on February 4, 2001 in Ōita. He has worked as an interpreter since his retirement.
Yoko Toyonaga (豊永 陽子, Toyonaga Yōko; born 15 April 1977) is a Japanese shot putter. She finished eighth at the 1999…
Yoko Toyonaga (豊永 陽子, Toyonaga Yōko; born 15 April 1977) is a Japanese shot putter. She finished eighth at the 1999 World Indoor Championships and fourth at the 2005 Asian Championships. She also competed at the World Championships in 2005 and 2007 without reaching the finals. Her personal best throw is 17.57 metres, achieved in June 2004 in Tottori.
Takako Kotorida (小鳥田 貴子, Kotorida Takako) (born 2 April 1977) is a Japanese former long-distance runner. She was a…
Takako Kotorida (小鳥田 貴子, Kotorida Takako) (born 2 April 1977) is a Japanese former long-distance runner. She was a member of DEODEO Athletic Club for Women. She represented her country at the 2002 Asian Games and placed fourth in the women's 10,000 metres. As part of the Japanese national marathon relay team, she was winner of the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden in 1999 and 2000, and was the Beijing International Ekiden champion in 2001. She competed at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships on three occasions and was part of Japan's silver medal-winning women's team in both 2001 and 2003. Kotorida was a silver medallist in the half marathon at the 2001 East Asian Games.
Yuki Nakata (中田 有紀, Nakata Yuki; born 10 March 1977) is a Japanese track and field athlete who competes in the women's…
Yuki Nakata (中田 有紀, Nakata Yuki; born 10 March 1977) is a Japanese track and field athlete who competes in the women's heptathlon. She represented Japan at the 2004 Summer Olympics and has competed twice at the World Championships in Athletics. She was the silver medallist at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2010 Asian Games and has won the heptathlon at the East Asian Games and the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships. With straight wins from 2002 to 2010, she is a nine time national champion and her best of 5962 points for the heptathlon is the national record for the event.
Yuka Murofushi (室伏 由佳, Murofushi Yuka; born 11 February 1977) is a retired Japanese discus and hammer thrower.…
Yuka Murofushi (室伏 由佳, Murofushi Yuka; born 11 February 1977) is a retired Japanese discus and hammer thrower. Murofushi comes from a hammer throwing family, as her father Shigenobu Murofushi is a former Olympian and held the Japanese record for decades, and her brother Koji Murofushi, is the 2004 Olympic champion in the event. Her mother, Serafina Moritz, is Romanian, and former European junior javelin champion and senior champion for Romania. Her parents are now divorced. She won the 2010 Japanese title in both the discus and hammer throw events.
Shigeru Aburaya (油谷 繁, Aburaya Shigeru; born 8 February 1977 in Nagato, Yamaguchi) is a Japanese long-distance runner…
Shigeru Aburaya (油谷 繁, Aburaya Shigeru; born 8 February 1977 in Nagato, Yamaguchi) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon race.
Toshinari Suwa (諏訪 利成; born 29 January 1977) is a Japanese marathon runner from Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
Misato Michishita (道下 美里, Michishita Misato; born 19 January 1977 in Shimonoseki City) is a visually impaired Japanese…
Misato Michishita (道下 美里, Michishita Misato; born 19 January 1977 in Shimonoseki City) is a visually impaired Japanese long distance and marathon runner. She silver medalled at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, and won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. She won the bronze medal the 2024 Summer Paralympics with a time of 3:04:23 in Paris, after Elena Congost from Spain was controversially disqualified with a time of 3:00:48 despite a human reflex when her companion almost fell.
Miyuki Fukumoto (née Aoyama; born 4 January 1977) is a female high jumper from Japan. Her personal best jump is 1.92…
Miyuki Fukumoto (née Aoyama; born 4 January 1977) is a female high jumper from Japan. Her personal best jump is 1.92 metres, achieved in July 2004 in Osaka. She won the silver medal at the 2003 Asian Championships, and finished fifth at the 2006 Asian Games. She was the Japanese national high jump champion in 2006. She competed at the 2007 World Championships without reaching the final.
Kiyoko Shimahara (嶋原 清子; born 22 December 1976) is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. Her…
Kiyoko Shimahara (嶋原 清子; born 22 December 1976) is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. Her personal best time is 2:25:10 hours, achieved in August 2009 in Sapporo. She is a member of the Second Wind running club in Japan. She represented her country at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and at the Asian Games in 2006 and 2010 (winning the silver medal at the former edition). Born in the Ōshima District in Yamaguchi Prefecture, she attended Kokushikan University and graduated in 1999 with a degree in physical education. She made her debut over the marathon distance at the Japanese student championships in 1997. Her first marathon victory came at the 2003 Katsuta Marathon, where she ran a course record time of 2:31:10 hours. She came third at the Tokyo Marathon in 2003, then improved to second place behind Bruna Genovese at the same competition the following year, setting a personal best of 2:26:43 hours in the process. Shimahara improved further at the 2005 Hokkaido Marathon, running 2:26:14 and taking the runner-up spot. In 2006, opened her season with a personal best of 1:10:16 hours at the Miyazaki Half Marathon, then came third at the Osaka Ladies Marathon. She made her foreign debut at the Boston Marathon, where she finished in fifth place. She gained her first international call-up for Japan at the 2006 Asian Games and she was the marathon silver medallist behind China's Zhou Chunxiu. These performances led to her being selected for the Japanese women's marathon squad at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. She finished sixth at the World Championships Marathon in Osaka. At the 2007 London Marathon, she withdrew mid-race for the first time, pulling up just after the halfway point due to breathing difficulties. At the start of 2008 she came eleventh at the Nagoya Marathon, but rebounded at the Chicago Marathon with a third-place finish to reach the podium. Shimahara ended her year with a win at the Honolulu Marathon in a time of 2:32:36 hours. Despite a sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon, the 2009 season proved to be one of Shimahara's most successful. She won the Osaka Half Marathon then set a course record and personal best of 2:25:10 hours to win at the Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo. She was the runner-up at both the Yokohama Marathon and the Honolulu race that year. Shimahara was fourth at the 2010 Nagano Marathon and was selected to compete for Japan at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. However, she did not win a medal on her second performance at the Games, finishing fifth overall. In 2011, she was the runner-up at the Hokkaido Marathon and the inaugural Osaka Marathon. She also ran at the Tokyo Marathon that year but placed fifteenth in that race. She had only one outing in 2012: at the Osaka Marathon she came fifth in a time of 2:29:51 hours. A year passed before she returned to competition, again in Osaka, and she managed third on that occasion.
Yoshihiro Murakami (村上 佳宏, Murakami Yoshihiro; born November 28, 1976, in Shizuoka) is a Japanese modern pentathlete.…
Yoshihiro Murakami (村上 佳宏, Murakami Yoshihiro; born November 28, 1976, in Shizuoka) is a Japanese modern pentathlete. Murakami represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he finished thirty-first in the men's event, with a score of 4,744 points.
Atsushi Fujita (藤田 敦史, Fujita Atsushi; born November 6, 1976 in Shirakawa, Fukushima) is a former long-distance runner…
Atsushi Fujita (藤田 敦史, Fujita Atsushi; born November 6, 1976 in Shirakawa, Fukushima) is a former long-distance runner from Japan.
Ken Akashi (Japanese: 明石 顕; born 6 November 1976 in Tokyo) is a Japanese race walker.
Kazuhiro Takahashi (高橋 和裕, Takahashi Kazuhiro; born 27 July 1976 in Nara Prefecture) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He…
Kazuhiro Takahashi (高橋 和裕, Takahashi Kazuhiro; born 27 July 1976 in Nara Prefecture) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He currently holds the Asian indoor record in the 4 × 400 metres relay with 3:05.90 minutes, achieved with teammates Jun Osakada, Masayoshi Kan and Shunji Karube in March 1999 in Maebashi. He also formerly held the Japanese record in the 200 metres with 20.57 seconds. He is currently (2020) the athletic director at Hamamatsu Koto High School.
Takanobu Otsubo (大坪 隆誠, Otsubo Takanobu; born 15 June 1976) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the…
Takanobu Otsubo (大坪 隆誠, Otsubo Takanobu; born 15 June 1976) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the half marathon and ekiden. He finished seventeenth at the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships, which was good enough to help Japan finish third in the team competition. His personal best time is 1:01:55 hours, achieved in March 2005 in Yamaguchi. In the 10,000 metres his personal best time is 28:14.92 minutes, achieved in November 2005 in Hachiōji. He is a policeman from the Osaka Prefectural Police, and often referred to as the fastest running policeman in Japan.