Japanese Olympic Trials Preview and Streaming Info – Brett Larner – Japan Running News

• Sprints
  The men’s 100 m is going to be the most competitive and one of the most exciting events at the Trials. Five men have the Olympic standard including the current and previous two national record holders, and a sixth has a realistic chance of hitting it. Abdul Hakim Sani Brown hasn’t raced much the last year, Yoshihide Kiryu is nursing an injury and admits he’s not at 100%, and Aska Cambridge has been underperforming this season after running 10.03 during blackout period on qualifying last year, but that doesn’t make it a lock for the other three, Ryota Yamagata, Yuki Koike and Shuhei Tada.
  Sani Brown and Koike are the only men with the standard in the 200 m, and both Shota Iizuka and Jun Yamashita are comfortably inside the Olympic quota. Finishing in the top 3 will be enough to put Sani Brown and Koike on the team, and if either Iizuka or Yamashita makes it their chances are pretty good. Kirara Shiraishi was part of Japan’s bronze medal 4×100 m team at the 2019 World Championships, and while he doesn’t have the standard and is currently outside the quota, he has scratched from the 100 m to focus everything on making the 200 m and has to be viewed as a factor.
  The only Japanese man in the 400 m quota, Julian Walsh, has scratched. That doesn’t mean the end of his Olympic chances, but it’s not likely anyone else on the list will make it. The same goes in the women’s sprint events, with no realistic contenders to qualify in any of the three events.
  Men’s 100 m (10.05) – final: Friday, 20:30
  Ryota Yamagata – 9.95 – NR
  Abdul Hakim Sani Brown – 9.97
  Yuki Koike – 9.98
  Shuhei Tada – 10.01
  Yoshihide Kiryu  – 10.01
  —–
  Aska Cambridge – 10.03
  Ryuichiro Sakai – 10.12
  Soshi Mizukubo  – 10.14
  Akihiro Higashida – 10.18
  Bruno Dede – 10.20
  Women’s 100 m (11.15) – final: Friday, 20:15
  Mei Kodama – 11.35
  Midori Mikase – 11.46
  Anna Doi – 11.52
  Chiaki Nagura – 11.55
  Yu Ishikawa – 11.56
  Hanae Aoyama – 11.56
  Hina Ishido – 11.56
  Maki Wada – 11.57
  Rinka Maekawa – 11.58
  Ami Saito – 11.58
  Men’s 200 m (20.24) – final: Sunday, 17:50
  Abdul Hakim Sani Brown  – 20.08
  Yuki Koike – 20.24
  —–
  Kirara Shiraishi – 20.27
  Shota Iizuka – 20.29
  Yoshihide Kiryu – 20.39
  Jun Yamashita – 20.40
  Akira Matsumoto – 20.57
  Akihiro Higashida – 20.60
  Keigo Yasuda – 20.61
  Koki Kasatani – 20.65
  Women’s 200 m (22.80) – final: Sunday, 17:38
  Remi Tsuruta – 23.17
  Mei Kodama – 23.44
  Ami Saito – 23.62
  Hina Ishido – 23.67
  Maki Wada – 23.70
  Aiko Iki – 23.71
  Sayumi Yoshida – 23.73
  Saki Takashima – 23.76
  Sayaka Oishi – 23.87
  Abigail Fuka Ido – 23.79
  Men’s 400 m (44.90) – final: Friday, 19:35
  Kentaro Sato – 45.61
  Kakeru Yamaki – 45.69
  Mizuki Obuchi – 45.78
  Rikuya Ito – 45.83
  Daichi Inoue – 45.83
  Aoto Suzuki – 45.94
  Kazushi Kimura – 45.96
  Kaito Kawabata – 46.03
  Fuga Sato – 46.04
  Joseph Yuki Nakajima – 46.09
  Women’s 400 m (51.35) – final: Friday, 19:25
  Seika Aoyama – 52.38
  Saki Takashima – 53.31
  Nanako Matsumoto – 53.31
  Mayu Kobayashi – 53.55
  Ayaka Kawata – 53.61
  Natsumi Kawasaki – 53.89
  Haruna Kuboyama – 53.94
  Airi Oshima – 53.96
  Yuna Iwata – 53.97
  Konomi Takeishi – 53.97
  Middle ・ Long Distance
  The situation in middle distance is the opposite of the sprints, with the women’s 1500 m the only event where there’s really a chance of seeing anyone make it to the Olympics. Nozomi Tanaka hasn’t hit the standard but has been cherry picking enough high point domestic races to put herself comfortably inside the quota and should make it. Ran Urabe and Yume Goto are a country mile from both Tanaka and the standard, but Urabe is just outside the quota right now and a top 2 finish in a decent time might be enough to push her over the edge.
  Nanami Arai just broke the men’s 1500 m NR but is a long way from both the standard and the quota and would need a miracle to make either. Even a miracle wouldn’t be enough in the women’s and men’s 800 m.
  Three women in the 5000 m have the standard, of which Tanaka has already scored her Olympic spot and Ririka Hironaka and Hitomi Niiya are already on the team in the 10000 m. In that way the race is really all about #4 woman Kaede Hagitani, who hit the standard during the blackout period last fall and came just short at May’s Olympic test event. Hagitani needs to run the standard, make the top three, and beat either Hironaka or Niiya. No small ask, especially with an approaching typhoon potentially affecting conditions in Osaka on Sunday. In her favor are the fact that there will be Kenyan pacers in the race, and the fact that she beat both Hironaka and Niiya at the test event.
  No Japanese men have the 5000 m standard. Hiroki Matsueda is in the quota and Hazuma Hattori just two places out, but both will have a hard time making the top three at the Trials. Yuta Bando, Hideyuki Tanaka and Takashi Ichida aren’t far behind Hattori and could pass him by in the rankings with solid runs. Likewise for 10000 m NR holder Akira Aizawa, who just quietly ran a 3000 m PB two weeks ago that, with a good run here, could be enough to give him a spot in the Olympic 5000 m to go along with his 10000 m place. The men’s 5000 m will also have Kenyan pacers.
  Men’s 800 m (1:45.20) – final: Sunday, 16:05
  Sho Kawamoto – 1:46.33
  Hiroki Minamoto – 1:46.50
  Allon Tatsunami Clay – 1:46.59
  Taichi Ichino – 1:47.02
  Junya Matsumoto – 1:47.02
  Daichi Setoguchi – 1:47.28
  Mikuto Kaneko – 1:47.30
  Kazuyoshi Tamogami – 1:47.68
  Daiki Nemoto – 1:47.94
  Kenta Umetani – 1:47.97
  Women’s 800 m (1:59.50) – final: Sunday, 16:15
  Ran Urabe – 2:02.74
  Yuma Kitamura – 2:03.05
  Nozomi Tanaka – 2:03.19
  Ayaka Kawata – 2:03.35
  Ayano Shiomi – 2:03.73
  Yuki Hirota – 2:04.48
  Sarina Hillier – 2:04.73
  Airi Ikezaki – 2:05.75
  Erina Hosoi – 2:05.97
  Fumika Omori – 2:06.16
  Men’s 1500 m (3:35.00) – final: Friday, 19:10
  Nanami Arai – 3:37.05 – NR
  Masaki Toda – 3:37.90
  Kazuki Kawamura – 3:38.83
  Kazuto Iizawa – 3:38.94
  Keisuke Morita – 3:39.37
  Keita Sato – 3:40.36
  Ryoji Tatezawa – 3:40.73
  Shoma Funatsu – 3:41.11
  Rikuto Iijima – 3:41.54
  Riku Kimura – 3:41.85
  Women’s 1500 m (4:04.20) – final: Friday, 19:00
  Nozomi Tanaka – 4:05.27
  Ran Urabe – 4:11.75
  Yume Goto – 4:13.24
  Saki Katagihara – 4:13.82
  Mizuki Michishita – 4:15.33
  Nanaka Yonezawa – 4:15.62
  Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu – 4:16.52
  Aisha Dosei – 4:17.81
  Akane Yabushita – 4:17.88
  Maya Iino – 4:18.02
  Men’s 5000 m (13:13.50) – final: Thursday, 18:55
  Yuta Bando – 13:18.49
  Hyuga Endo – 13:18.99
  Hideyuki Tanaka – 13:22.72
  Hiroki Matsueda – 13:24.29
  Yamato Yoshii – 13:26.87
  Taku Fujimoto – 13:27.34
  Takashi Ichida – 13:27.73
  Akira Aizawa – 13:29.47
  Hazuma Hattori – 13:29.65
  Yuhei Urano – 13:30.41
  Amos Kurgat – 13:21.39 (pacer)
  Jackson Kavesa – 13:22.58 (pacer)
  Women’s 5000 m (15:10.00) – final: Sunday, 16:50
  Hitomi Niiya – 14:55.83
  Ririka Hironaka – 14:59.37
  Nozomi Tanaka – 15:00.01
  —–
  Kaede Hagitani – 15:05.78
  Sayaka Sato – 15:16.52
  Mikuni Yada – 15:19.67
  Tomoka Kimura – 15:19.99
  Minami Yamnouchi – 15:23.01
  Kazumi Nishihara – 15:23.88
  Momoka Kawaguchi – 15:24.24
  Cynthia Mbaire – 15:07.13 (pacer)
  Naomi Muthoni Kariuki – 15:08.07 (pacer)
  Hurdles
  Taken all together the hurdles are Japan’s strongest area at these Olympic Trials. Three men led by NR holder Taio Kanai have the 110 mH standard, with another two close behind. Two women are inside the 100 mH quota with a third, Ayako Kimura, currently the top athlete outside the quota. Four men have the 400 mH standard with a fifth just 0.02 off, making it another of the meet’s highlights. The men’s 3000 mSC has a good chance of seeing a full squad, national record holder Ryuji Miura having the standard and just needing a top 3 finish, and three other athletes inside the quota. At least two women, Reimi Yoshimura and Yuno Yamanaka, could make the women’s 3000 mSC quota. Only the women’s 400 mH has no realistic contenders for the Olympic team, top-ranked Eri Utsunomiya currently nine places outside the quota and over a second off the standard.
  Men’s 110 mH (13.32) – final: Sunday, 17:25
  Taio Kanai – 13.16 – NR
  Shunya Takayama – 13.25
  Shunsuke Izumiya – 13.30
  —–
  Rachid Muratake – 13.35
  Shuhei Ishikawa – 13.39
  Shusei Nomoto – 13.45
  Wataru Yazawa – 13.51
  Ryo Tokuoka – 13.55
  Ryota Fujii – 13.57
  Genta Masuno – 13.59
  Women’s 100 mH (12.84) – final: Saturday, 17:15
  Masumi Aoki – 12.87 – NR
  Asuka Terada – 12.87 – NR
  Miho Suzuki – 13.00
  Ayako Kimura – 13.11
  Chisato Kiyoyama – 13.13
  Mako Fukube – 13.13
  Yumi Tanaka – 13.18
  Hitomi Shimura – 13.20
  Hitomi Nakajima – 13.20
  Yuri Okubo – 13.21
  Men’s 400 mH (48.90) – final: Saturday, 17:50
  Kazuki Kurokawa – 48.68
  Takatoshi Abe – 48.80
  Hiromu Yamauchi – 48.84
  Masaki Toyoda – 48.87
  —–
  Ryo Kajiki – 48.92
  Keisuke Nozawa – 49.08
  Tatsuhiro Yamamoto – 49.12
  Yuki Matsushita – 49.23
  Takayuki Kishimoto – 49.38
  Kyohie Yoshida – 49.40
  Women’s 400 mH (55.40) – final: Sunday, 16:35
  Aisha Ibrahim – 56.50
  Eri Utsunomiya – 56.50
  Moeka Sekimoto – 56.96
  Akiko Ito – 57.09
  Ami Yamamoto – 57.43
  Satsuki Umehara – 57.70
  Mizuna  Ono – 57.73
  Rui Tsugawa – 57.85
  Mayu Siato – 57.88
  Karen Yokota – 58.00
  Men’s 3000 mSC (8:22.00) – final: Saturday, 16:05
  Ryuji Miura – 8:17.45 – NR
  —–
  Kosei Yamaguchi – 8:22.39
  Ryohei Sakaguchi – 8:23.93
  Ryoma Aoki – 8:25.85
  Kazuya Shiojiri – 8:27.25
  Yasunari Kusu – 8:28.01
  Seiya Shigeno – 8:31.88
  Taisei Ogino – 8:34.11
  Hironori Tsuetaki – 8:35.21
  Yusuke Uchikoshi – 8:35.39
  Women’s 3000 mSC (9:30.00) – final: Saturday, 15:40
  Yuno Yamanaka – 9:46.72
  Yukari Ishikawa – 9:48.76
  Reimi Yoshimura – 9:49.30
  Chikako Mori – 9:50.67
  Yui Yabuta – 9:52.19 – 3rd
  Yuzu Nishide – 9:55.01
  Yumi Yoshikawa – 9:58.12
  Yuki Akiyama – 9:58.31
  Soyoka Segawa – 9:58.81
  Nana Sato – 9:56.95
  Jumps
  Japan has two men in the high jump quota right now, NR holder Naoto Tobe and Takashi Eto. Ryo Sato is right on the cusp, giving it a chance of there being a full squad. Seito Yamamoto is just inside the pole vault quota and could move up a couple of places with a good performance, potentially to be joined by Masaki Ejima. Three men have the long jump standard, making the triple jump the only weak spot for the men. No women are likely to make the Olympic team in the jumps, the best being long jumper Sumire Hata, currently 14 spots outside the quota.
  Men’s High Jump (2.33 m) – final: Thursday, 17:00
  Naoto Tobe – 2.35 m – NR
  Tomohiro Shinno – 2.31 m
  Takashi Eto – 2.30 m
  Ryoichi Akamatsu – 2.28 m
  Keitaro Fujita – 2.28 m
  Ryo Sato – 2.27 m
  Women’s High Jump (1.96 m) – final: Sunday, 14:05
  Natsumi Aoyama – 1.78 m
  Sakura Aoi – 1.78 m
  Natsumi Kanda – 1.78 m
  Moe Takeuchi – 1.78 m
  Reina Takeyama – 1.78 m
   
  Men’s Pole Vault (5.80 m) – final: Saturday, 14:45
  Seito Yamamoto – 5.71 m
  Masaki Ejima – 5.71 m
  Daichi Sawano – 5.71 m
  Takuma Ishikawa — 5.70 m
  Kosei Takekawa – 5.65 m
  Women’s Pole Vault (4.70 m) – final: Friday, 17:50
  Misaki Morota – 4.30 m
  Kanae Tatsuta – 4.30 m
  Mayu Nasu – 4.25 m
  Rena Tanaka – 4.15 m
  Ayako Henmi – 4.15 m
  Men’s Long Jump (8.22 m) – final: Sunday, 15:40
  Shotaro Shioryama – 8.40 m – NR
  Yuki Hashioka – 8.32 m
  Hibiki Tsuha – 8.23 m
  —–
  Koki Fujihara – 8.12 m
  Natsuki Yamakawa – 8.04 m
  Women’s Long Jump (6.82 m) – final: Thursday, 17:05
  Sumire Hata – 6.65 m
  Hitomi Nakano – 6.42 m
  Yuki Azuma – 6.41 m
  Ayaka Kora – 6.35 m
  Nagisa Yamamoto – 6.31 m
  Men’s Triple Jump (17.14 m) – final: Friday, 18:15
  Ryoma Yamamoto – 16.85 m
  Hikaru Ikehata – 16.75 m
  Yuki Yamashita – 16.57 m
  Kohei Yamashita – 16.45 m
  Seiya Tonai – 16.35 m
  Women’s Triple Jump (14.32 m) – final: Saturday, 16:00
  Kanna Kawai – 13.65 m
  Saki Kenmochi – 13.42 m
  Mariko Morimoto – 13.32 m
  Maoko Takashima – 13.04 m
  Hina Tagami – 13.03 m
  Throws
  Except for the javelin, throws are Japan’s weakest area, with no contenders for the team on either the women’s or men’s sides. Haruka Kitaguchi has the women’s javelin standard and will be in with a top 3 finish, potentially to be joined by Yuka Sato and, maybe, Momona Ueda. Takuto Kominami is in the men’s javelin quota, with Kenji Ogura and Ryohei Arai just on the wrong side of the line. Roderick Genki Dean has come closest to hitting the standard this season and could overtake them all, meaning there’s distant potential for a full squad here too.
  Men’s Shot Put (21.10 m) – final: Sunday, 16:10
  Daichi Morishita – 18.29 m
  Daichi Nakamura – 18.20 m
  Masahiro Sato – 18.20 m
  Hikaru Murakami – 18.03 m
  Shinichi Yukinaga – 17.85 m
  Women’s Shot Put (18.50 m) – final: Sunday, 14:15
  Nanak Kori – 16.23 m
  Fumika Ono – 16.04 m
  Honoka Oyama – 15.51 m
  Yuka Takahashi – 15.47 m
  Fuyuko Oyamada – 15.46 m
  Men’s Discus Throw (66.00 m) – final: Thursday, 18:00
  Yuji Tsutsumi – 62.59 m – NR
  Shinichi Yukinaga – 60.69 m
  Masateru Yugami – 59.69 m
  Shigeyuki Maisawa – 56.88 m
  Kosei Yamashita – 55.33 m
  Women’s Discus Throw (63.50 m) – final: Thursday, 15:30
  Nanaka Kori – 59.03 m – NR
  Maki Saito – 55.53 m
  Minori Tsujikawa – 54.46 m
  Akane Kawaguchi – 52.30 m
  Natsumi Fujimori – 51.62 m
  Men’s Hammer Throw (77.50 m) – final: Saturday, 16:15
  Ryota Kashimura – 71.50 m
  Yudai Kimura – 71.21 m
  Tatsuto Nakagawa – 71.10 m
  Naoki Uematsu – 70.46 m
  Takahiro Kobata – 70.23 m
  Women’s Hammer Throw (72.50 m) – final: Saturday, 13:55
  Akane Watanabe – 65.49 m
  Raika Murakami – 62.88 m
  Hitomi Katsuyama – 62.47 m
  Miharu Kodate – 61.87 m
  Narumi Matsushima – 59.43 m
  Men’s Javelin Throw (85.00 m) – final: Sunday, 16:00
  Roderick Genki Dean – 84.05 m
  Takuto Kominami – 82.52 m
  Ryohei Arai – 82.03 m
  Kennosuke Sogawa – 81.73 m
  Kenji Ogura – 81.53 m
  Women’s Javelin Throw (64.00 m) – final: Friday, 18:30
  Haruka Kitaguchi – 66.00 m – NR
  —–
  Yuka Sato – 62.88 m
  Momone Ueda – 61.75 m
  Mikako Yamashita – 59.30 m
  Orie Ushiro – 59.16 m

  © 2021 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

         Brett Larner – Japan Running News