During the Asian 20km road walk championships in Nomi (JPN) this morning (Japan time) Yusuke Suzuki won the race, setting the new world record on the distance with a time of 1:16:36.
This time is less than 26" of that obtained last week by Yohann Diniz in Arles in France, and also the time obtained from the Russian Sergey Morozov (1:16:43 - Saransk - 8.6.2008) who never had been recognized by the IAAF for the absence of the three international judges and doping control .
Suzuki had started the year by finishing second at his national championships, watching compatriot Eiki Takahashi break Suzuki's national record in Kobe past Feb. 15, 2015.
With that as motivation, Suzuki – who is renowned for setting off at a fast pace – went out quicker than he ever had done before, passing 6km in 22:53.
He covered 8km in 30:25 and went through the half-way mark in a national 10km record of 38:05. It was clear that he was on course for a fast time if he were to maintain that pace, but that had often been his downfall in the past.
Not today, though. He continued operating at world record pace, passing 12km in 45:45 and 14km in 53:23. His pace began to slip slightly, going through 16km in 1:01:07, but not enough to ruin his chances of breaking the world record.
And new record world was, right in his hometown Nomi, where among other things he graduated Asian Champion for the third time in this event.
These are his split timea every 5 km:
- 5 km: 19:04 - Yohann Diniz in Arles last Sunday: 19:20
- 10 km: 38:06 (19:02 second 5 km) - Yohann Diniz in Arles last Sunday: 38:40
- 15 km: 57:15 (19:09 third 5 km) - Yohann Diniz in Arles last Sunday: 58:00
- 20 lm: 1:16:36 (19:21 fourth 5 km)
Some other news
20 km Asian Championships men
In second place, after this sensational victory Yusuke Suzuki, will square the Korean Hyunsub Kim with a time of 1:19:13.
The bronze goes to the Indian Baljinder Singh in 1:22:58.
The other non-Asian athletes who presented to Nomi for the IAAF Challenge have got the following placement:
- Chris Erickson - AUS - 10th in 1:22:08
- Benjamin Thorne - CAN - 11th in 1:22:12
- Inaki Comez - CAN - 25th in 1:25:21
The other most important Japanese athletes who raced for the All Japan Championships have got the following placement:
- Isamu Fujisawa - 2nd in 1:19:08 (personal best)
- Daisuke Matsunaga - 3rd in 1:19:08 (personal best)
- Kai Kobayashi - 4th in 1:19:12
- Satoshi Maruo - 6th in 1:19:42
- Tomohiro Noda - 7th in 1:20:08
20 km Asian Championships women
The victory went to the athlete China Yonbo Hou with a time of 1:29:25 (splits: 22:25; 44:45; 1:07:00).
The silver went to Japanese Kumiko Okada with a time of 1:29:46, while the bronze went to Korean Yeongeun Jeon in 1:30.35.
Be noted that in the third position was classified, however, the Canadian Rachel Seaman who competed only for the IAAF Challenge with a time of 1:29:54
Yusule Suzuki after the arrival in 1:16:36 (NWR)
(photo bay Takashi Nakagawa - JPN)