28/06/2016   Japan: race walking team to Rio






The Japanese athletics federation (JAAF) has nominated a team of 56 athletes to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. 

 
The list includes the athletes who were selected earlier this year for the marathon and race-walking events, Japan’s highest quality athletics disciplines.
 
Although 20km race walk world record-holder Yusuke Suzuki has been forced to miss the Olympics through injury, world 50km race walk bronze medallist Takayuki Tanii will go to Rio with realistic ambitions of taking a medal in what will be his fourth Olympics.
 
Below the team:
 
 
20km road walk men
 
Isamu Fujisawa (personal best of 1:18:45 obtained in Kobe - JPN on February 21, 2016)
Daisuke Matsunaga (personal best of 1:18:53 obtained in Nomi - JPN on March 20, 2016)
Eiki Takahashi (personal best of 1:18:03 obtained in Kobe - JPN on february 15, .2015)
 
50 km road walk
 
Hirooki Arai (personal best of 3:40:34 obtained in Takahata - JPN on October 26, .2014)
Koichiro Morioka (personal best of 3.43:14 obtained in Londra - GBR on August 11, 2012) 
Takayuki Tanii (personal best di 3:40:19 obtained in Incheon - KOR on October 1, 2014)
 
20km eoad walk women
 
Kumiko Okada (personal best of 1:29:40 obtained in Kobe - JPN on February 21, 2016)